'You are very kind, ma'am,' said Mr. Pickwick.

'In the first place, here are my little girls; I had almost forgotten
them,' said Minerva, carelessly pointing towards a couple of full-grown
young ladies, of whom one might be about twenty, and the other a year
or two older, and who were dressed in very juvenile costumes--whether
to make them look young, or their mamma younger, Mr. Pickwick does not
distinctly inform us.

'They are very beautiful,' said Mr. Pickwick, as the juveniles turned
away, after being presented.

'They are very like their mamma, Sir,' said Mr. Pott, majestically.

'Oh, you naughty man,' exclaimed Mrs. Leo Hunter, playfully tapping the
editor's arm with her fan (Minerva with a fan!).

'Why now, my dear Mrs. Hunter,' said Mr. Pott, who was trumpeter
in ordinary at the Den, 'you know that when your picture was in the
exhibition of the Royal Academy, last year, everybody inquired whether
it was intended for you, or your youngest daughter; for you were so much
alike that there was no telling the difference between you.'

'Well, and if they did, why need you repeat it, before strangers?' said
Mrs. Leo Hunter, bestowing another tap on the slumbering lion of the
Eatanswill GAZETTE.

'Count, count,' screamed Mrs. Leo Hunter to a well-whiskered individual
in a foreign uniform, who was passing by.

'Ah! you want me?' said the count, turning back.

'I want to introduce two very clever people to each other,' said Mrs.
Leo Hunter. 'Mr. Pickwick, I have great pleasure in introducing you to
Count Smorltork.' She added in a hurried whisper to Mr. Pickwick--'The
famous foreigner--gathering materials for his great work on
England--hem!--Count Smorltork, Mr. Pickwick.' Mr. Pickwick saluted the
count with all the reverence due to so great a man, and the count drew
forth a set of tablets.

'What you say, Mrs. Hunt?' inquired the count, smiling graciously on
the gratified Mrs. Leo Hunter, 'Pig Vig or Big Vig--what you
call--lawyer--eh? I see--that is it. Big Vig'--and the count was
proceeding to enter Mr. Pickwick in his tablets, as a gentleman of
the long robe, who derived his name from the profession to which he
belonged, when Mrs. Leo Hunter interposed.

'No, no, count,' said the lady, 'Pick-wick.'

'Ah, ah, I see,' replied the count. 'Peek--christian name;
Weeks--surname; good, ver good. Peek Weeks. How you do, Weeks?'

'Quite well, I thank you,' replied Mr. Pickwick, with all his usual
affability.