and
frownings--

'My wishing to wait upon you for such a purpose as this, Sir,
appears, I have no doubt, to a gentleman who sees so much of these
matters as you must necessarily do, a very extraordinary
circumstance.'

The Serjeant tried to look gravely at the fire, but the smile came
back again.

[Picture: Mr. Pickwick expounds his case to his Counsel]

'Gentlemen of your profession, Sir,' continued Mr. Pickwick, 'see the
worst side of human nature--all its disputes, all its ill-will and
bad blood, rise up before you. You know from your experience of
juries (I mean no disparagement to you or them) how much depends upon
_effect_; and you are apt to attribute to others, a desire to use,
for purposes of deception and self-interest, the very instruments
which you, in pure honesty and honour of purpose, and with a laudable
desire to do your utmost for your client, know the temper and worth
of so well, from constantly employing them yourselves. I really
believe that to this circumstance may be attributed the vulgar but
very general notion of your being, as a body, suspicious,
distrustful, and over-cautious. Conscious as I am, Sir, of the
disadvantage of making such a declaration to you, under such
circumstances, I have come here, because I wish you distinctly to
understand, as my friend Mr. Perker has said, that I am innocent of
the falsehood laid to my charge; and although I am very well aware of
the inestimable value of your assistance, Sir, I must beg to add,
that unless you sincerely believe this, I would rather be deprived of
the aid of your talents than have the advantage of them.'

Long before the close of this address, which we are bound to say was
of a very prosy character for Mr. Pickwick, the Serjeant had relapsed
into a state of abstraction.

Now the Serjeant might at once have replied to all this, that the
innocence or guilt of a client had nothing to do with him, that his use
was merely to secure a client such benefit and advantage as the law
entitled him to: that a judge and jury would decide the point of
innocence. Boz himself evidently shared this popular delusion, and seems
to be speaking by Mr. Pickwick's mouth. The sagacious Serjeant, however,
took no notice whatever of the appeal, but simply asked "who was with
him" in the case. Mr. Phunky was sent for, and asked by hi