culiar care; the mottled-faced gentleman wore at his
button-hole a full-sized dahlia with several leaves; and the coats
of his two friends were adorned with nosegays of laurel and other
evergreens. All three were habited in strict holiday costume; that is
to say, they were wrapped up to the chins, and wore as many clothes as
possible, which is, and has been, a stage-coachman's idea of full dress
ever since stage-coaches were invented.

Mr. Pell was waiting at the usual place of meeting at the appointed
time; even he wore a pair of gloves and a clean shirt, much frayed at
the collar and wristbands by frequent washings.

'A quarter to two,' said Pell, looking at the parlour clock. 'If we are
with Mr. Flasher at a quarter past, we shall just hit the best time.'

'What should you say to a drop o' beer, gen'l'm'n?' suggested the
mottled-faced man. 'And a little bit o' cold beef,' said the second
coachman.

'Or a oyster,' added the third, who was a hoarse gentleman, supported by
very round legs.

'Hear, hear!' said Pell; 'to congratulate Mr. Weller, on his coming into
possession of his property, eh? Ha! ha!'

'I'm quite agreeable, gen'l'm'n,' answered Mr. Weller. 'Sammy, pull the
bell.'

Sammy complied; and the porter, cold beef, and oysters being promptly
produced, the lunch was done ample justice to. Where everybody took so
active a part, it is almost invidious to make a distinction; but if one
individual evinced greater powers than another, it was the coachman with
the hoarse voice, who took an imperial pint of vinegar with his oysters,
without betraying the least emotion.

'Mr. Pell, Sir,' said the elder Mr. Weller, stirring a glass of
brandy-and-water, of which one was placed before every gentleman when
the oyster shells were removed--'Mr. Pell, Sir, it wos my intention to
have proposed the funs on this occasion, but Samivel has vispered to
me--'

Here Mr. Samuel Weller, who had silently eaten his oysters with tranquil
smiles, cried, 'Hear!' in a very loud voice. --'Has vispered to me,'
resumed his father, 'that it vould be better to dewote the liquor to
vishin' you success and prosperity, and thankin' you for the manner in
which you've brought this here business through. Here's your health,
sir.'

'Hold hard there,' interposed the mottled-faced gentleman, with sudden
energy; 'your eyes on me, gen'l'm'n!'

Saying this, the mottled-faced gentleman rose, as did the other
gentlemen. The mottled-faced gentlema