ring of Mr. Pickwick; and after a short conversation
conducted in whispers, walked softly down a little dark passage and
disappeared into the legal luminary's sanctum, from whence he shortly
returned on tiptoe, and informed Mr. Perker and Mr. Pickwick that the
Serjeant had been prevailed upon, in violation of all his established
rules and customs, to admit them at once.

The Serjeant was writing when his clients entered; he bowed
abstractedly when Mr. Pickwick was introduced by his solicitor; and
then, motioning them to a seat, put his pen carefully in the
inkstand, nursed his left leg, and waited to be spoken to.

'Mr. Pickwick is the defendant in Bardell and Pickwick, Serjeant
Snubbin,' said Perker.

'I am retained in that, am I?' said the Serjeant.

'You are, Sir,' replied Perker.

The Serjeant nodded his head, and waited for something else.

'Mr. Pickwick was anxious to call upon you, Serjeant Snubbin,' said
Perker, 'to state to you, before you entered upon the case, that he
denies there being any ground or pretence whatever for the action
against him; and that unless he came into court with clean hands, and
without the most conscientious conviction that he was right in
resisting the plaintiff's demand, he would not be there at all. I
believe I state your views correctly; do I not, my dear Sir?' said
the little man, turning to Mr. Pickwick.

'Quite so,' replied that gentleman.

Mr. Serjeant Snubbin unfolded his glasses, raised them to his eyes;
and, after looking at Mr. Pickwick for a few seconds with great
curiosity, turned to Mr. Perker, and said, smiling slightly as he
spoke--

'Has Mr. Pickwick a strong case?'

The attorney shrugged his shoulders.

'Do you purpose calling witnesses?'

'No.'

The smile on the Serjeant's countenance became more defined; he
rocked his leg with increased violence, and, throwing himself back in
his easy-chair, coughed dubiously.

These tokens of the Serjeant's presentiments on the subject, slight
as they were, were not lost on Mr. Pickwick. He settled the
spectacles, through which he had attentively regarded such
demonstrations of the barrister's feeling as he had permitted himself
to exhibit, more firmly on his nose; and said with great energy, and
in utter disregard of all Mr. Perker's admonitory winkings