ar me,' urged Mr. Pickwick,
as Mr. Ben Allen fell into a chair that patients were bled in, and gave
way to his pocket-handkerchief. 'I have rendered no assistance in this
matter, beyond being present at one interview between the young people
which I could not prevent, and from which I conceived my presence would
remove any slight colouring of impropriety that it might otherwise have
had; this is the whole share I have had in the transaction, and I had
no suspicion that an immediate marriage was even contemplated. Though,
mind,' added Mr. Pickwick, hastily checking himself--'mind, I do not say
I should have prevented it, if I had known that it was intended.'

'You hear that, all of you; you hear that?' said Mr. Benjamin Allen.

'I hope they do,' mildly observed Mr. Pickwick, looking round, 'and,'
added that gentleman, his colour mounting as he spoke, 'I hope they hear
this, Sir, also. That from what has been stated to me, sir, I assert
that you were by no means justified in attempting to force your sister's
inclinations as you did, and that you should rather have endeavoured by
your kindness and forbearance to have supplied the place of other nearer
relations whom she had never known, from a child. As regards my young
friend, I must beg to add, that in every point of worldly advantage he
is, at least, on an equal footing with yourself, if not on a much better
one, and that unless I hear this question discussed with becoming temper
and moderation, I decline hearing any more said upon the subject.'

'I wish to make a wery few remarks in addition to wot has been put
for'ard by the honourable gen'l'm'n as has jist give over,' said Mr.
Weller, stepping forth, 'wich is this here: a indiwidual in company has
called me a feller.'

'That has nothing whatever to do with the matter, Sam,' interposed Mr.
Pickwick. 'Pray hold your tongue.'

'I ain't a-goin' to say nothin' on that 'ere pint, sir,' replied Sam,
'but merely this here. P'raps that gen'l'm'n may think as there wos a
priory 'tachment; but there worn't nothin' o' the sort, for the young
lady said in the wery beginnin' o' the keepin' company, that she
couldn't abide him. Nobody's cut him out, and it 'ud ha' been jist the
wery same for him if the young lady had never seen Mr. Vinkle.
That's what I wished to say, sir, and I hope I've now made that 'ere
gen'l'm'n's mind easy.

A short pause followed these consolatory remarks of Mr. Weller. Then
Mr. Ben Allen rising from h