is corpulence, so that Tupman, stung to
fury, was about to assault him. Mr. Pickwick had to apologise, but it is
clear the insult rankled; and it would appear that Tupman was never
afterwards much in the confidence of his leader, and, for that matter, in
the confidence of his author. Boz, either consciously or unconsciously,
felt this. Tupman, too, never seems to have got over the figure he "cut"
in the spinster aunt business, and the loss of general respect.

Still he submitted to be taken about under Mr. Pickwick's patronage, but
soon the mutual irritation broke out. The occasion was the latter's
putting on speckled stockings for the dance at Manor Farm. "_You_ in
silk stockings," exclaimed Tupman, jocosely; a most natural, harmless
remark, considering that Mr. Pickwick invariably wore his gaiters at
evening parties. But the remark was hotly resented, and challenged. "You
see nothing extraordinary in the stockings _as_ stockings, I trust, sir?"
Of course his friend said "No, certainly not," which was the truth, but
Mr. Pickwick put aside the obvious meaning. Mr. Tupman "walked away,"
wishing to avoid another altercation, afraid to trust himself; and Mr.
Pickwick, proud of having once more "put him down," assumed his
"customary benign expression." This did not promise well.

In all the Manor Farm jollity, we hear little or nothing of Tupman, who
seems to have been thought a cypher. No doubt he felt that the girls
could never look at him without a smile--thinking of the spinster aunt.
In the picture of the scene, we find this "old Buck" in the foreground,
on one knee, trying to pickup a pocket handkerchief and holding a young
lady by the hand. Snodgrass and his lady are behind; Winkle and his
Arabella on the other side; Trundle and his lady at the fire. Then who
was Tupman's young woman? She is not mentioned in the text, yet is
evidently a prominent personage--one of the family. At Ipswich, he was
crammed into the sedan chair with his leader--two very stout
gentlemen--which could not have increased their good humour, though
Tupman assisted him from within to stand up and address the mob. We are
told that "all Mr. Tupman's entreaties to have the lid of the vehicle
closed" were unattended to. He felt the ridicule of his position--a
sedan chair carried along, and a stout man speaking. This must have
produced friction. Then there was the sense of injustice in being
charged with aiding and abetting his lead