self gently touched on the shoulder; and, looking round, his
father stood before him. The old gentleman's countenance wore a mournful
expression, as he shook his head gravely, and said, in warning accents--

'I know'd what 'ud come o' this here mode o' doin' bisness. Oh, Sammy,
Sammy, vy worn't there a alleybi!'

CHAPTER XXXV. IN WHICH Mr. PICKWICK THINKS HE HAD BETTER GO TO BATH; AND
GOES ACCORDINGLY

'But 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 downstairs.'

'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