m,' said Mr. Pickwick,
grasping the old lady's hand, and speaking so loud
that the exertion imparted a crimson hue to his
benevolent countenance; 'I assure you, ma'am, that
nothing delights me more, than to see a lady of
your time of life heading so fine a family, and
looking so young and well.'

"'Ah!' said the old lady, after a short pause;
'it's all very fine, I dare say; but I can't hear
him.'

"'Grandma's rather put out now,' said Miss
Isabella Wardle, in a low tone; 'but she'll talk
to you presently.'

"Mr. Pickwick nodded his readiness to humour the
infirmities of age, and entered into a general
conversation with the other members of the
circle.

"'Delightful situation this,' said Mr. Pickwick.

"'Delightful!' echoed Messrs. Snodgrass, Tupman,
and Winkle.

"'Well, I think it is,' said Mr. Wardle.

"'There ain't a better spot o' ground in all Kent,
sir,' said the hard-headed man with the
pippin-face; 'there ain't indeed, sir--I'm sure
there ain't, sir,' and the hard-headed man looked
triumphantly round, as if he had been very much
contradicted by somebody, but had got the better
of him at last. 'There ain't a better spot o'
ground in all Kent,' said the hard-headed man
again after a pause.

"''Cept Mullins' meadows!' observed the fat man,
solemnly.

"'Mullins' meadows!' ejaculated the other, with
profound contempt.

"'Ah, Mullins' meadows,' repeated the fat man.

"'Reg'lar good land that,' interposed another fat
man.

"'And so it is, sure-ly,' said a third fat man.

"'Everybody knows that,' said the corpulent host.

"The hard-headed man looked dubiously round, but
finding himself in a minority, assumed a
compassionate air, and said no more.

"'What are they talking about?' inquired the old
lady of one of her grand-daughters, in a very
audible voice; for, like many deaf people, she
never seemed to calculate on the possibility of
other persons hearing what she said herself.

"'About the land, grandma.'

"'What about t