y thought it far less shocking than
they had expected; and that although the owner of the black eyes and the
arch smile informed Mr. Wardle that she was sure she could never submit
to anything so dreadful, we have the very best reasons for thinking she
was mistaken. To all this, we may add, that Mr. Pickwick was the first
who saluted the bride, and that in so doing he threw over her neck a
rich gold watch and chain, which no mortal eyes but the jeweller's had
ever beheld before. Then, the old church bell rang as gaily as it could,
and they all returned to breakfast. 'Vere does the mince-pies go, young
opium-eater?' said Mr. Weller to the fat boy, as he assisted in laying
out such articles of consumption as had not been duly arranged on the
previous night.

The fat boy pointed to the destination of the pies.

'Wery good,' said Sam, 'stick a bit o' Christmas in 'em. T'other dish
opposite. There; now we look compact and comfortable, as the father said
ven he cut his little boy's head off, to cure him o' squintin'.'

As Mr. Weller made the comparison, he fell back a step or two, to
give full effect to it, and surveyed the preparations with the utmost
satisfaction.

'Wardle,' said Mr. Pickwick, almost as soon as they were all seated, 'a
glass of wine in honour of this happy occasion!'

'I shall be delighted, my boy,' said Wardle. 'Joe--damn that boy, he's
gone to sleep.' 'No, I ain't, sir,' replied the fat boy, starting up
from a remote corner, where, like the patron saint of fat boys--the
immortal Horner--he had been devouring a Christmas pie, though not with
the coolness and deliberation which characterised that young gentleman's
proceedings.

'Fill Mr. Pickwick's glass.'

'Yes, sir.'

The fat boy filled Mr. Pickwick's glass, and then retired behind his
master's chair, from whence he watched the play of the knives and forks,
and the progress of the choice morsels from the dishes to the mouths
of the company, with a kind of dark and gloomy joy that was most
impressive.

'God bless you, old fellow!' said Mr. Pickwick.

'Same to you, my boy,' replied Wardle; and they pledged each other,
heartily.

'Mrs. Wardle,' said Mr. Pickwick, 'we old folks must have a glass of
wine together, in honour of this joyful event.'

The old lady was in a state of great grandeur just then, for she
was sitting at the top of the table in the brocaded gown, with her
newly-married granddaughter on one side, and Mr. Pickwick on the oth