and Winkle, coming up the stair. He was
obliged to retreat, and took refuge in Mr. Wardle's bedroom, from which
there was no escape, save through the dining-room.

The dinner hour was a painful one to Emily, for the fat boy's secret
kept him awake, and he winked at her and at Arabella so often that Mr.
Wardle noticed it. The latter sent him into the bedroom finally for his
snuff-box and he came out very pale, Mr. Snodgrass having seized him
there, and begged him to tell some one secretly to release him.

Accordingly the fat boy made desperate efforts to attract Mr. Pickwick's
attention--first by making faces at him when he thought no one else was
looking and finally by running a pin into his leg. But this did not have
the desired results. Mr. Pickwick concluded he was crazy, and Mr. Wardle
was about to have him taken down stairs, when into the confusion, with a
very red face, walked Snodgrass, out of the bedroom. He explained his
presence there, declared his love for Emily, was forgiven on the spot
and joined the dinner.

The happiness of all was complete when old Mr. Winkle arrived (having
made up his mind to see his son's wife and judge for himself) and found
Arabella so sweet that he kissed her and forgave Winkle on the instant.

Thus the last adventure of the Pickwickians ended happily. Mr. Pickwick
had seen, before this, that the marriage of his companions would change
his own life. He withdrew his name from the Pickwick Club (which
thereupon went to pieces), and purchased a house near London for the
entertainment of his friends, and there a few days later Snodgrass and
Emily were married in the presence of Mr. Wardle and all the
Pickwickians.

After the wedding, Snodgrass bought a farm near Dingley Dell where, with
Emily, he lived many years, and was always accounted a great poet on
account of his pensive and absent-minded manner. Winkle, with Arabella,
settled a half-mile from Mr. Pickwick. Tupman never again fell in love,
though for years his romantic air made him the admiration of numerous
single ladies of the neighborhood.

Ben Allen and Bob Sawyer went to India as surgeons where (after having
had yellow fever fourteen times) they became teetotalers and thereafter
did well. Mrs. Bardell continued to let lodgings to single gentlemen,
but never had another breach of promise suit. Old Tony Weller finally
gave up business and retired to live on the interest of the money Mr.
Pickwick had invested for him, hav