eplied, 'That he wouldn't, if he
was aware on it; but there were so many on 'em, that he hardly know'd
which was the best ones wen he heerd 'em mentioned.'

Mr. Winkle then recounted what had passed between himself and Mr. Ben
Allen, relative to Arabella; stated that his object was to gain an
interview with the young lady, and make a formal disclosure of his
passion; and declared his conviction, founded on certain dark hints
and mutterings of the aforesaid Ben, that, wherever she was at present
immured, it was somewhere near the Downs. And this was his whole stock
of knowledge or suspicion on the subject.

With this very slight clue to guide him, it was determined that Mr.
Weller should start next morning on an expedition of discovery; it was
also arranged that Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Winkle, who were less confident
of their powers, should parade the town meanwhile, and accidentally drop
in upon Mr. Bob Sawyer in the course of the day, in the hope of seeing
or hearing something of the young lady's whereabouts.

Accordingly, next morning, Sam Weller issued forth upon his quest, in
no way daunted by the very discouraging prospect before him; and away
he walked, up one street and down another--we were going to say, up one
hill and down another, only it's all uphill at Clifton--without meeting
with anything or anybody that tended to throw the faintest light on the
matter in hand. Many were the colloquies into which Sam entered with
grooms who were airing horses on roads, and nursemaids who were
airing children in lanes; but nothing could Sam elicit from either the
first-mentioned or the last, which bore the slightest reference to the
object of his artfully-prosecuted inquiries. There were a great many
young ladies in a great many houses, the greater part whereof were
shrewdly suspected by the male and female domestics to be deeply
attached to somebody, or perfectly ready to become so, if opportunity
afforded. But as none among these young ladies was Miss Arabella Allen,
the information left Sam at exactly the old point of wisdom at which he
had stood before.

Sam struggled across the Downs against a good high wind, wondering
whether it was always necessary to hold your hat on with both hands in
that part of the country, and came to a shady by-place, about which
were sprinkled several little villas of quiet and secluded appearance.
Outside a stable door at the bottom of a long back lane without a
thoroughfare, a groom in un