rrow night's over, he vishes he may be
somethin'-unpleasanted if he don't drownd hisself."

Arabella, in great distress at this prospect, promised she would be in
the garden next evening, and Sam returned with the news to Mr. Pickwick
and Winkle.

The next evening all three set out for the spot. Mary let them into the
garden and, while Winkle climbed the wall to throw himself at Arabella's
feet, Mr. Pickwick kept guard at the gate with a dark lantern. So far he
threw its beam that a scientific gentleman who lived a few houses away,
seeing the light from his window, took it for some new and wonderful
freak of electricity and came out to investigate.

Before he arrived, however, Winkle had scrambled back over the wall and
Arabella had run into the house. Seeing the scientific gentleman's head
poked out of a garden-gate as they passed, Sam gave it a gentle tap
with his fist and then, hoisting Mr. Pickwick on his back, and followed
by Winkle, he ran off at full speed, leaving the scientific gentleman to
go back to his room and write a long article about the wonderful light
and to tell how he had received a shock of electricity which left him
stunned for a quarter of an hour afterward.

The Pickwickians' stay at Bath came to an end soon after this adventure,
and their leader, with Sam Weller, returned to London.

VIII

MR. PICKWICK'S EXPERIENCES IN THE DEBTORS'
PRISON, WHERE HE FINDS AN OLD ENEMY
AND HEAPS COALS OF FIRE ON THE
HEAD OF MRS. BARDELL

Mr. Pickwick had not been long in London when his lawyer's warning
proved too true. One morning a bailiff forced his way to his bedroom
and, since he had not paid the damages to Mrs. Bardell, arrested him in
bed, waited till he was dressed and carried him off to the debtors'
prison.

The prison was called The Fleet. It was a gloomy building with a heavy
gate, guarded by a turnkey, holding all classes, from laboring men to
broken-down spendthrifts. Its filthy galleries, and low coffee-room
reeked with tobacco smoke and its open court was noisy with the oaths
of card-players. In some of the rooms lived men with their wives and
whole families of children, and Mr. Pickwick found he would have to pay
extra even to have a room to himself.

Caged with this coarse, vulgar crowd, Mr. Pickwick suffered greatly, but
no idea of paying the unjust damages entered his mind. Instead, he
busied himself with wandering about the prison and learning all