rtal of the Magpie and Stump.

CHAPTER XXII. Mr. PICKWICK JOURNEYS TO IPSWICH AND MEETS WITH A ROMANTIC
ADVENTURE WITH A MIDDLE-AGED LADY IN YELLOW CURL-PAPERS

'That 'ere your governor's luggage, Sammy?' inquired Mr. Weller of his
affectionate son, as he entered the yard of the Bull Inn, Whitechapel,
with a travelling-bag and a small portmanteau.

'You might ha' made a worser guess than that, old feller,' replied Mr.
Weller the younger, setting down his burden in the yard, and sitting
himself down upon it afterwards. 'The governor hisself'll be down here
presently.'

'He's a-cabbin' it, I suppose?' said the father.

'Yes, he's a havin' two mile o' danger at eight-pence,' responded the
son. 'How's mother-in-law this mornin'?'

'Queer, Sammy, queer,' replied the elder Mr. Weller, with impressive
gravity. 'She's been gettin' rayther in the Methodistical order lately,
Sammy; and she is uncommon pious, to be sure. She's too good a creetur
for me, Sammy. I feel I don't deserve her.'

'Ah,' said Mr. Samuel. 'that's wery self-denyin' o' you.'

'Wery,' replied his parent, with a sigh. 'She's got hold o' some
inwention for grown-up people being born again, Sammy--the new birth,
I think they calls it. I should wery much like to see that system in
haction, Sammy. I should wery much like to see your mother-in-law born
again. Wouldn't I put her out to nurse!'

'What do you think them women does t'other day,' continued Mr. Weller,
after a short pause, during which he had significantly struck the side
of his nose with his forefinger some half-dozen times. 'What do you
think they does, t'other day, Sammy?'

'Don't know,' replied Sam, 'what?'

'Goes and gets up a grand tea drinkin' for a feller they calls their
shepherd,' said Mr. Weller. 'I was a-standing starin' in at the pictur
shop down at our place, when I sees a little bill about it; "tickets
half-a-crown. All applications to be made to the committee. Secretary,
Mrs. Weller"; and when I got home there was the committee a-sittin' in
our back parlour. Fourteen women; I wish you could ha' heard 'em, Sammy.
There they was, a-passin' resolutions, and wotin' supplies, and all
sorts o' games. Well, what with your mother-in-law a-worrying me to go,
and what with my looking for'ard to seein' some queer starts if I did,
I put my name down for a ticket; at six o'clock on the Friday evenin' I
dresses myself out wery smart, and off I goes with the old 'ooman, and
up we walks