THE PICKWICK CLUB. 599
they have you. I wos married fust, that vay myself, Sir, and Sammy wos the consekens o' the manoover."
" You give me no great encouragement to condude what I have to say," observed Mr. Pickwick, *< but I had better do so at once. This young person is not only attached to your son, Mr. Weller, but your son is attached to her."
Veil, said Mr. Weller, <'this here's a pretty sort o' thing to come to a father's ears, this is ! "
- ' I have observed them on several occasions," said Mr. Pickwick,
making no comment on Mr, Weller's last remark ; ^' and entertain no doubt at all about it. Supposing I were desirous of establishing them comfortably as man and wife in some little business or situation, where they might hope to obtain a decent living, what should you think of it, Mr. Weller?"
At first, Mr. Weller received with wry faces a proposition involving the marriage of anybody in v/hom he took an interest, but as Mr. Pick- wick argued the point with him, and laid great stress upon the fact that Mary was not a widow, he gradually became more tractable. Mr. Pickwick had great influence over him ; and he had been much struck with Mary's appearance, having, in fact, bestowed several very un- fatherly winks upon her, already. At length he said that it was not foi* him to oppose Mr. Pickwick's inclination, and that he would be very happy to yield to his advice ; upon which Mr. Pickwick joyfully took him at his word and called Sam back into the room.
- Sam," said Mr. Pickwick, clearing his throat, " your father and I
have been having some conversation about you."
" About you, Samivel," said Mr. Weller, in a patronising and im- pressive voice.
- ' I am not so blind, Sam, as not to have seen, a long time since, that
you entertain something more than a friendly feeling towards Mrs. Winkle's maid," said Mr. Pickwick.
" You hear this, Samivel .^ said Mr. Weller in the same judicial form of speech as before.
" I hope. Sir," said Sam, addressing his master, " I hope there's no harm in a young man takin' notice of a young 'ooman as is undeniably good-looking and veil-conducted."
- ' Certainly not," said Mr. Pickwick.
"Not by no means, acquiesced Mr. Weller, affably but magis- terially.
- So far from thinking that there is anything wrong in conduct so
natural," resumed Mr. Pickwick, «' it is my wish to assist and promote your wishes in this respect. With this view I have had a little conver- sation with your father, and finding that he is of my opinion — "
"The lady not bein' a vidder," interposed Mr. 'Weller in explana- tion.
"The lady not being a widow," said Mr. Pick^vick, smiling. *'I wish to free you from the restraint which your present position imposes upon you : and to mark my sense of your fidelity and many excellent qualities, by enabling you to marry this girl at once, and to earn an in- dependent livelihood for yourself and family. I shall be proud, Sam,"
