ured to feign an easiness of manner,
which, in his then state of confusion, gave him rather the air of a
disconcerted pickpocket.

'Now, Mr. Winkle,' said Mr. Skimpin, 'attend to me, if you please,
Sir; and let me recommend you, for your own sake, to bear in mind his
Lordship's injunctions to be careful. I believe you are a particular
friend of Mr. Pickwick, the defendant, are you not?'

'I have known Mr. Pickwick now, as well as I recollect at this moment,
nearly--'

'Pray, Mr. Winkle, do not evade the question. Are you, or are you not, a
particular friend of the defendant's?'

'I was just about to say, that--'

'Will you, or will you not, answer my question, Sir?' 'If you don't
answer the question, you'll be committed, Sir,' interposed the little
judge, looking over his note-book.

'Come, Sir,' said Mr. Skimpin, 'yes or no, if you please.'

'Yes, I am,' replied Mr. Winkle.

'Yes, you are. And why couldn't you say that at once, Sir? Perhaps you
know the plaintiff too? Eh, Mr. Winkle?'

'I don't know her; I've seen her.'

'Oh, you don't know her, but you've seen her? Now, have the goodness to
tell the gentlemen of the jury what you mean by that, Mr. Winkle.'

'I mean that I am not intimate with her, but I have seen her when I went
to call on Mr. Pickwick, in Goswell Street.'

'How often have you seen her, Sir?'

'How often?'

'Yes, Mr. Winkle, how often? I'll repeat the question for you a dozen
times, if you require it, Sir.' And the learned gentleman, with a firm
and steady frown, placed his hands on his hips, and smiled suspiciously
to the jury.

On this question there arose the edifying brow-beating, customary on
such points. First of all, Mr. Winkle said it was quite impossible for
him to say how many times he had seen Mrs. Bardell. Then he was asked if
he had seen her twenty times, to which he replied, 'Certainly--more
than that.' Then he was asked whether he hadn't seen her a hundred
times--whether he couldn't swear that he had seen her more than fifty
times--whether he didn't know that he had seen her at least seventy-five
times, and so forth; the satisfactory conclusion which was arrived at,
at last, being, that he had better take care of himself, and mind what
he was about. The witness having been by these means reduced to the
requisite ebb of nervous perplexity, the examination was continued as
follows--

'Pray, Mr. Winkle, do you remember calling on the defendant Pickwick
at these apartm