The delicate nature of this commission, and the difficulty of executing it in a satisfactory manner, were by no means lessened by the voluntary companionship of Mr.Bob Sawyer.Truth to tell, Mr.Pickwick felt that his presence on the occasion, however considerate and gratifying, was by no means an honour he would willingly have sought; in fact, he would cheerfully have given a reasonable sum of money to have had Mr.Bob Sawyer removed to any place at not less than fifty miles' distance, without delay.
Mr.Pickwick had never held any personal communication with Mr.Winkle, senior, although he had once or twice corresponded with him by letter, and returned satisfactory answers to his inquiries concerning the moral character and behaviour of his son; he felt nervously sensible that to wait upon him, for the first time, attended by Bob Sawyer and Ben Allen, both slightly fuddled, was not the most ingenious and likely means that could have been hit upon to prepossess him in his favour.
"However," said Mr.Pickwick, endeavouring to re-assure himself, "Imust do the best I can.I must see him to-night, for I faithfully promised to do so.If they persist in accompanying me, I must make the interview as brief as possible, and be content to hope that, for their own sakes, they will not expose themselves."As he comforted himself with these reflections, the chaise stopped at the door of the Old Royal.Ben Allen having been partially awakened from a stupendous sleep, and dragged out by the collar by Mr.Samuel Weller, Mr.Pickwick was enabled to alight.They were shown to a comfortable apartment, and Mr.Pickwick at once propounded a question to the waiter concerning the whereabout of Mr.Winkle's residence.
"Close by, sir," said the waiter, "not above five hundred yards, sir.
Mr.Winkle is a wharfinger, sir, at the canal, sir.Private residence is not--oh dear no, sir, not five hundred yards, sir." Here the waiter blew a candle out, and made a feint of lighting it again, in order to afford Mr.Pickwick an opportunity of asking any further questions, if he felt so disposed.
"Take anything now, sir?" said the waiter, lighting the candle in desperation at Mr.Pickwick's silence."Tea or coffee, sir? Dinner, sir?""Nothing now."
"Very good, sir.Like to order supper, sir?""Not just now."
" Very good, sir." Here, he walked softly to the door, and then stopping short, turned round, and said, with great suavity:
"Shall I send the chambermaid, gentlemen?""You may if you please;" replied Mr.Pickwick.
"If you please, sir."
"And bring some soda water," said Bob Sawyer.
"Soda water, sir? Yes, sir." With his mind apparently relieved from an overwhelming weight, by having at last got an order for something, the waiter imperceptibly melted away.Waiters never walk or run.They have a peculiar and mysterious power of skimming out of rooms, which other mortals possess not.
Some slight symptoms of vitality having been awakened in Mr.Ben Allen by the soda water, he suffered himself to be prevailed upon to wash his face and hands, and to submit to be brushed by Sam.Mr.Pickwick and Bob Sawyer having also repaired the disorder which the journey had made in their apparel, the three started forth, arm in arm, to Mr.Winkle's ; Bob Sawyer impregnating the atmosphere with tobacco smoke as he walked along.
About a quarter of a mile off, in a quiet, substantial-looking street, stood an old red-brick house with three steps before the door, and a brass plate upon it, bearing, in fat Roman capitals, the words, "Mr.Winkle."The steps were very white, and the bricks were very red, and the house was very clean; and here stood Mr.Pickwick, Mr.Benjamin Allen, and Mr.
Bob Sawyer, as the clock struck ten.
A smart servant girl answered the knock, and started on beholding the three strangers.
"Is Mr.Winkle at home, my dear?" inquired Mr.Pickwick.
"He is just going to supper, sir," replied the girl.
"Give him that card if you please," rejoined Mr.Pickwick."Say I am sorry to trouble him at so late an hour; but I am anxious to see him to-night, and have only just arrived."The girl looked timidly at Mr.Bob Sawyer, who was expressing his admiration of her personal charms by a variety of wonderful grimaces; and casting an eye at the hats and great coats which hung in the passage, called another girl to mind the door while she went up-stairs.The sentinel was speedily relieved; for the girl returned immediately, and begging pardon of the gentlemen for leaving them in the street, ushered them into a floor-clothed back parlour, half office and half dressing-room, in which the principal useful and ornamental articles of furniture, were a desk, a wash-hand stand and shaving glass, a boot-rack and boot-jack, a high stool, four chairs, a table, and an old eight-day clock.Over the mantel-piece were the sunken doors of an iron safe, while a couple of hanging shelves for books, and almanack, and several files of dusty papers, decorated the walls.
"Very sorry to leave you standing at the door, sir," said the girl, lighting a lamp, and addressing Mr.Pickwick with a winning smile, "but you was quite strangers to me; and we have such a many trampers that only come to see what they can lay their hands on, that really--""There is not the least occasion for any apology, my dear," said Mr.
Pickwick good humouredly.
"Not the slightest, my love," said Bob Sawyer, playfully stretching forth his arms, and skipping from side to side, as if to prevent the young lady's leaving the room.
The young lady was not at all softened by these allurements, for she at once expressed her opinion that Mr.Bob Sawyer was an "odous creetur";and, on his becoming rather more pressing in his attentions, imprinted her fair fingers upon his face, and bounced out of the room with many expressions of aversion and contempt.