rfect nature, gentlemen), the lonely and desolate widow dried
her tears, furnished her first floor, caught her innocent boy to her
maternal bosom, and put the bill up in her parlour window. Did it remain
there long? No. The serpent was on the watch, the train was laid, the
mine was preparing, the sapper and miner was at work. Before the bill
had been in the parlour window three days--three days, gentlemen--a
being, erect upon two legs, and bearing all the outward semblance of a
man, and not of a monster, knocked at the door of Mrs. Bardell's house.
He enquired within."

Those who attended the Reading will recall the admirable briskness, and
more admirable spirit with which Boz delivered the passage "by the
evidence of the unimpeachable female whom I shall place in that"--here he
brought down his palm with a mighty slap on the desk, and added, after a
moment's pause, "_Box_ before you." It was that _preceding_ of the
stroke that told. So real was it, one fancied oneself listening to some
obstreperous counsel. In all true acting--notably on the French
boards--the gesture should a little precede the utterance. So the
serjeant knew something of art.

When Mr. Pickwick gave an indignant start on hearing himself described as
a heartless villain how cleverly does the capable Buzfuz turn the
incident to profit.

[Picture: Mr. Pickwick as a Monster]

'I say systematic villany, gentlemen,' said Serjeant Buzfuz, looking
through Mr. Pickwick, and talking _at_ him; 'and when I say
systematic villiany, let me tell the defendant, Pickwick, if he be in
court, as I am informed he is, that it would have been more decent in
him, more becoming, in better judgment and in better taste, if he had
stopped away. Let me tell him, gentlemen, that any gestures of
dissent or disapprobation in which he may indulge in this court will
not go down with you; that you will know how to value, and to
appreciate them; and let me tell him further, as my lord will tell
you, gentlemen, that a counsel, in the discharge of his duty to his
client, is neither to be intimidated nor bullied, nor put down; and
that any attempt to do either the one or the other, or the first or
the last, will recoil on the head of the attempter, be he plaintiff
or be he defendant, be his name Pickwick, or Noakes, or Stoakes, or
Stiles, or Brown, or Thompson.'

This little divergence from t