登陆注册
5170700000198

第198章

IN WHICH MR.PICKWICK THINKS HE HAD BETTER GO TOBATH; AND GOES ACCORDINGLY

"B UT surely, my dear sir," said little Perker, as he stood in Mr.Pickwick's apartment on the morning after the trial:

"Surely you don't really mean--really and seriously now, and irritation apart--that you won't pay these costs and damages?""Not one halfpenny," said Mr.Pickwick, firmly; "not one halfpenny.""Hooroar for the principle, as the money-lender said ven he vouldn't renew the bill," observed Mr.Weller, who was clearing away the breakfast things.

"Sam," said Mr.Pickwick, "have the goodness to step down-stairs." "Cert'nly, sir," replied Mr.Weller; and acting on Mr.Pickwick's gentle hint, Sam retired.

"No, Perker," said Mr.Pickwick, with great seriousness of manner, "my friends here, have endeavoured to dissuade me from this determination, but without avail.I shall employ myself as usual, until the opposite party have the power of issuing a legal process of execution against me; and if they are vile enough to avail themselves of it, and to arrest my person, I shall yield myself up with perfect cheerfulness and content of heart.

When can they do this?"

"They can issue execution, my dear sir, for the amount of the damages and taxed costs, next term," replied Perker, "just two months hence, my dear sir.""Very good," said Mr.Pickwick."Until that time, my dear fellow, let me hear no more of the matter.And now," continued Mr.Pickwick, looking round on his friends with a good-humoured smile, and a sparkle in the eye which no spectacles could dim or conceal, "the only question is, Where shall we go next?"Mr.Tupman and Mr.Snodgrass were too much affected by their friend's heroism to offer any reply.Mr.Winkle had not yet sufficiently recovered the recollection of his evidence at the trial, to make any observation on any subject, so Mr.Pickwick paused in vain.

"Well," said that gentleman, "if you leave me to suggest our destination, I say Bath.I think none of us have ever been there."Nobody had; and as the proposition was warmly seconded by Perker, who considered it extremely probable that if Mr.Pickwick saw a little change and gaiety he would be inclined to think better of his determination, and worse of a debtor's prison, it was carried unanimously: and Sam was at once dispatched to the White Horse Cellar, to take five places by the half-past seven o'clock coach, next morning.

There were just two places to be had inside, and just three to be had out; so Sam Weller booked for them all, and having exchanged a few compliments with the booking-office clerk on the subject of a pewter half-crown which was tendered him as a portion of his "change," walked back to the George and Vulture, where he was pretty busily employed until bed-time in reducing clothes and linen into the smallest possible compass, and exerting his mechanical genius in constructing a variety of ingenious devices for keeping the lids on boxes which had neither locks nor hinges.

The next was a very unpropitious morning for a journey--muggy, damp, and drizzly.The horses in the stages that were going out, and had come through the city, were smoking so, that the outside passengers were invisible.

The newspaper-sellers looked moist, and smelt mouldy; the wet ran off the hats of the orange-venders as they thrust their heads into the coach windows, and diluted the insides in a refreshing manner.The Jews with the fifty bladed penknives shut them up in despair; the men with the pocket-books made pocket-books of them.Watch-guards and toasting-forks were alike at a discount, and pencil-cases and sponge were a drug in the market.

Leaving Sam Weller to rescue the luggage from the seven or eight porters who flung themselves savagely upon it, the moment the coach stopped: and finding that they were about twenty minutes too early, Mr.Pickwick and his friends went for shelter into the travellers' room--the last resource of human dejection.

The travellers' room at the White Horse Cellar is of course uncomfortable;it would be no travellers' room if it were not.It is the right-hand parlour, into which an aspiring kitchen fire-place appears to have walked, accompanied by a rebellious poker, tongs, and shovel.It is divided into boxes, for the solitary confinement of travellers, and is furnished with a clock, a looking-glass, and a live waiter: which latter article is kept in a small kennel for washing glasses, in a corner of the apartment.

One of these boxes was occupied, on this particular occasion, by a stern-eyed man of about five-and-forty, who had a bald and glossy forehead, with a good deal of black hair at the sides and back of his head, and large black whiskers.He was buttoned up to the chin in a brown coat; and had a large seal-skin travelling cap, and a great-coat and cloak, lying on the seat beside him.He looked up from his breakfast as Mr.Pickwick entered, with a fierce and peremptory air, which was very dignified; and having scrutinised that gentleman and his companions to his entire satisfaction, hummed a tune, in a manner which seemed to say that he rather suspected somebody wanted to take advantage of him, but it wouldn't do.

"Waiter," said the gentleman with the whiskers.

"Sir?" replied a man with a dirty complexion, and a towel of the same, emerging from the kennel before mentioned.

"Some more toast."

"Yes, sir."

"Buttered toast, mind," said the gentleman, fiercely.

"D'rectly, sir," replied the waiter.

The gentleman with the whiskers hummed a tune in the same manner as before, and pending the arrival of the toast, advanced to the front of the fire, and, taking his coat tails under his arms, looked at his boots, and ruminated.

"I wonder whereabouts in Bath this coach puts up," said Mr.Pickwick, mildly addressing Mr.Winkle.

"Hum--eh--what's that?" said the strange man.

同类推荐
  • Some Reminiscences

    Some Reminiscences

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 刘子遗书

    刘子遗书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 松源崇嶽禅师语录

    松源崇嶽禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 郘亭知见传本书目

    郘亭知见传本书目

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陆清河集

    陆清河集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 金阙帝君三元真一经

    金阙帝君三元真一经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 光明域

    光明域

    欢迎加入光明域小说作品交流群,群聊号码:829454971他,是一名少年,从小便经历了生死离别,从小便经历了颠沛流离,从小便经历了战场生死……仅仅是一名少年!经历了如此诸多的坎坷,但是他仍然不放弃希望,他被赋予了光明的使命,最终他是否能够完成他的夙愿呢?这是一个充满法力的世界,每个人都可以修炼法力,世界因此强者如云,虽然存在六大帝国,但是世界依然混乱不堪,各大种族之间争斗不已,各国之间尔虞我诈,在这乱世中他却有着一个纯真的爱情,为了守护这份爱情,他甘愿放弃一切,但是她为此却因此堕落,一个是天使,一个是恶魔,这份爱情最终能否终成眷属呢?
  • 须颂篇

    须颂篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 十里玄机

    十里玄机

    她出生时常年冰冷的玄机山竟入了夏,修为过低差点没能渡劫成功的她也差点害得自己毁容,还好去了蓬莱仙岛重新修行,出来时自己那话痨的哥哥与那魔界公主搞在了一起,后来那天宫太子与哥哥一同出征,回来的只要天宫太子,司命君为她改命又受了天谴,正当她心灰意冷时得知了哪些肮脏的真相,一步一步报复了回去。。。
  • 朱自清美文与“五四”记忆

    朱自清美文与“五四”记忆

    本书从美学、哲学、文艺学、审美学、心理学等视角,以“五四”新文学的诞生及其发展为背景,以朱自清为个案,对其美文创作进行学理性解读;进而对其散文创作的文化价值、诗性价值和美学价值进行史识性的阐释,同时对朱自清个人在“五四”新文化诞生期,在理论与创作上所践行的特殊贡献进行了全面而深入的描述。
  • 教观纲宗

    教观纲宗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 巴列维王朝的最后四百天

    巴列维王朝的最后四百天

    从1978年1月8日至1979年2月11日的四百天是伊朗历史的转折点。伊朗伊斯兰革命也是世界历史上的重大事件之一,对世界格局影响深远。本书以时间为主线,展示了伊朗内部社会各阶层不同代表人物以及美国、英国和苏联等外部势力围绕自身利益的博弈,展现了伊朗君主专制走向灭亡的历史进程。
  • 重生之弃后医妃

    重生之弃后医妃

    前世谋算却不知人心似虎,看似亲人不过豺狼之心。坐登后位转为空,冷宫人彘、亲子殒命,桩桩件件万剑灼心。泣血重生,看我绝你家族,断你皇命,以尔等鲜血献祭。偏偏前世清淡若莲的男子怎么转了性,这个装可怜的人是谁!“三皇兄可是疯了不成!”“为琪妧表妹便是不要这皇位又如何,本宫宁负天下,也不可做那感叹如何不如卢家有莫愁之人。”
  • 蛇后妈眯万万岁

    蛇后妈眯万万岁

    警局出任务,她落到蛇洞里压在了一条蛇的身上,和蛇进行了搏斗,回来时竟意外怀孕。生下两个孩子,随着年龄渐长,渐渐显出蛇的本性。最终知道,原来这两个孩子是蛇王的孩子……
  • 一贱如顾

    一贱如顾

    男主顾臻跟别的总裁不一样,他不但思维逆天,就连行为也是异于常人,女主就是一糙汉子,为人率真,是个急性子,因为相亲进错房而与男主发生一系列狗血的事情,从此这俩人各取所需,组成了一对最佳饭侣,并开始了漫长而搞笑的合作旅程。文风接地气,有小温馨,有微量狗血,我且乐着写,你们且宽容看,有不足指出来我一定改正,但是我心脆弱,不要一上来就说太脑残之类的话,这只是一个故事,一本小说,所以大家不要太较真。