tical room in which he had spent the evening, and beheld his missing property on the table. Mr. Pickwick seized the watch in triumph and proceeded to retrace his steps to his bedchamber. If his progress downward had been attended with difficulties and uncertainty, his journey back was infinitely more perplexing. Rows of doors garnished with boots of every shape, make and size branched off in every possible direction. A dozen times did he softly turn the handle of some bedroom door which resembled his own, when a gruff cry from within of from within of "Who the devil's that?" or "What do you want here?" caused him to steal away on tiptoe with a marvellous celerity. He was reduced to the verge of despair, when an open door attracted his attention. He peeped in right at last. There were the two beds, whose situation he perfectly remembered, and the fire still burning. His candlenot a long one when he first received ithad flickered away in the draughts of air through which he had passed, and sunk into the socket just as he closed the door after him. "No matter," said Mr. Pickwick; "I can undress myself just as well by the light of the fire." The bedsteads stood one on each side of the door, and on the inner side of each was a little path, terminating in a rush-bottomed chair just wide enough to admit of a person's getting into or out of bed on that side if he or she thought proper. Having carefully drawn the curtains of his bed on the outside, Mr. Pickwick sat down on the rush-bottomed chair and leisurely divested himself of his shoes and gaiters. He then took off and folded up his coat, waistcoat and neckcloth, and, slowly drawing on his tasselled nightcap, secured it firmly on his head by tying beneath his chin the strings which he had always attached to that article of dress. It was at this moment that the absurdity of his recent bewilderment struck upon his mind; and, throwing himself back in the rush-bottomed chair, Mr. Pickwick laughed to himself so heartily that it would have been quite delightful to any man of well-constituted mind to have watched the smiles which expanded his amiable features as they shone forth from beneath the night-cap. "It is the best idea," said Mr. Pickwick to himself, smiling till he almost cracked the nightcap strings-"it is the best idea, my losing myself in this place and wandering about those staircases, that I ever heard of. Droll, droll-very droll!" Here Mr. Pickwick smiled again, a broader smile than before, and was about to continue the process of undressing in the best possible humor, when he was suddenly stopped by a most unexpected interruption-to wit, the entrance into the room of some person with a candle, who, after locking the door, advanced to the dressing-table and set down the light upon it. The smile that played on Mr. Pickwick's features was instantaneously lost in a look of the most unbounded and wonder-stricken surprise. The person, whoever it was, had come in so suddenly and with so little noise that Mr. Pickwick had no time to call out or oppose their entrance. Who could it be? A robber! Some evil-minded person who had seen him come up stairs with a handsome watch in his hand, perhaps. What was he to do? The only way in which Mr. Pickwick | cap with a small plaited border, and was could catch a glimpse of his mysterious gazing pensively on the fire. visitor with the least danger of being seen himself was by creeping on to the bed and peeping out from between the curtains on the opposite side. To this manœuvre he accordingly resorted. Keeping the curtains carefully closed with his hand, so that nothing more of him could be seen than his face and nightcap, and putting on his spectacles, he mustered up courage and looked out. Mr. Pickwick almost fainted with. horror and dismay. Standing before the dressingglass was a middle-aged lady in yellow curlpapers busily engaged in brushing what ladies call their “back-hair." However the unconscious middle-aged lady came into that room, it was quite clear that she contemplated remaining there for the night: for she had brought a rushlight and shade with her, which, with praiseworthy precaution against fire, she had stationed in a basin on the floor, where it was glimmering away like a gigantic lighthouse in a particularly small piece of water. "This matter is growing alarming," reasoned Mr. Pickwick with himself. "I can't allow things to go on in this way. By the self-possession of that lady, it's clear to me that I must have come into the wrong room. If I call out, she'll alarm the house; but if I remain here, the consequence will be still more frightful." Mr. Pickwick, it is quite unnecessary to say, was one of the most modest and delicate-minded of mortals. The very idea of exhibiting his nightcap to a lady overpowered him, but he had tied these confounded strings in a knot, and, do what he would, he couldn't get it off. The disclosure must be made. There was only one other way of doing it. He shrunk behind the curtains and called out very loudly, "Ha-hum !" That the lady started at this unexpected sound was evident by her falling up against the rushlight shade; that she persuaded herself it must have been the "Bless my soul!" thought Mr. Pickwick. effect of imagination was equally clear; for "What a dreadful thing!" "Hem!" said the lady; and in went Mr. Pickwick's head with automaton-like rapidity. “I never met with anything so awful as this," thought poor Mr. Pickwick, the cold perspiration starting in drops upon his nightcap "never. This is fearful." cap-" It was quite impossible to resist the urgent desire to see what was going forward; so out went Mr. Pickwick's head again. The prospect was worse than before. The middleaged lady had finished arranging her hair and carefully enveloped it in a muslin night when Mr. Pickwick, under the impression. that she had fainted away, stone-dead from fright, ventured to peep out again, she was gazing pensively on the fire as before. "Most extraordinary female this," thought Mr. Pickwick, popping in again. "Ha hum!" These last sounds, so like those in which, as legends inform us, the ferocious giant Blunderbore was in the habit of expressing his opinion that it was time to lay the cloth, were too distinctly audible to be again mistaken for the workings of fancy. Gracious Heaven!" said the middle-aged ma'am" [here Mr. Pickwick gave it a trelady; "what's that?" "It's it's only a gentleman, ma'am, said Mr. Pickwick from behind the curtains. mendous tug in proof of the statement]. "It is evident to me, ma'am, now, that I have mistaken this bedroom for my own. I had not been here five minutes, ma'am, "A gentleman!" said the lady, with a when you suddenly entered it.” terrific scream. "It's all over," thought Mr. Pickwick. "A strange man!" shrieked the lady. Another instant and the house would be alarmed. Her garments rustled as she rushed toward the door. "Ma'am," said Mr. Pickwick, thrusting out his head in the extremity of his desperation" ma'am.' Now, although Mr. Pickwick was not actuated by any definite object in putting out his head, it was instantaneously productive of a good effect. The lady, as we have already stated, was near the door. She must pass it to reach the staircase, and she would most undoubtedly have done so by this time had not the sudden apparition of Mr. Pickwick's nightcap driven her back into the remotest corner of the apartment, where she stood staring wildly at Mr. Pickwick, while Mr. Pickwick in his turn stared wildly at her. "Wretch!" said the lady, covering her eyes with her hands. "What do you want here?" "Nothing, ma'am-nothing whatever, ma'am," said Mr. Pickwick, earnestly. "If this improbable story be really true, sir," said the lady, sobbing violently, "you will leave it instantly." "I will, ma'am, with the greatest pleasure," replied Mr. Pickwick. "Instantly, sir," said the lady. Certainly, ma'am," interposed Mr. Pickwick, very quickly—“ certainly, ma'am. I -I am very sorry, ma'am," said Mr. Pickwick, making his appearance at the bottom of the bed, "to have been the innocent occasion of this alarm and emotion-deeply sorry, ma'am. The lady pointed to the door. One excellent quality of Mr. Pickwick's character was beautifully displayed at this moment under the most trying circumstances. Although he had hastily put on his hat over his nightcap, after the manner of the old patrol, although he carried his shoes and gaiters in his hand and his coat and waistcoat over his arm, nothing could subdue his native politeness. "I am exceedingly sorry, ma'am," said Mr. Pickwick, bowing very low. "If you are, sir, you will at once leave the room," said the lady. blemished character and the devoted respect I entertain for your sex will plead as some slight excuse for this-" But before Mr. Pickwick could conclude the sentence the lady had thrust him into the passage and locked and bolted the door behind him. Whatever grounds for self-congratulation Mr. Pickwick might have for having escaped so quietly from his late awkward situation, his present position was by no means enviable. He was alone in an open passage in a strange house in the middle of the night, half dressed; it was not to be supposed that he could find his way in perfect darkness to a room which he had been wholly unable to discover with a light; and if he made the slightest noise in his fruitless attempts to do so, he stood every chance of being shot at, and perhaps killed, by some wakeful traveller. He had no resource but to remain where he was until daylight appeared. So, after groping his way a few paces down the passage, and, to his infinite alarm, stumbling over several pairs of boots in so doing, Mr. Pickwick crouched into a little recess in the wall, to wait for morning as philosophically as he might. He was not destined, however, to undergo this additional trial of his patience; for he had not been long ensconced in his present concealment when, to his unspeakable horror, a man bearing a light appeared at the end of the passage. His horror was suddenly converted into joy, however, when he recognized the form of his faithful attendant. It was indeed Mr. Samuel Weller, who after sitting up thus late in con Mr. Weller stared at his master with the most emphatic surprise, and it was not until the question had been repeated three several times that he turned round and led the way to the long-sought apartment. "Sam," said Mr. Pickwick as he got into bed, "I have made one of the most extraordinary mistakes to-night that ever were heard of." "Wery likely, sir," replied Mr. Weller, dryly. "But of this I am determined, Sam," said Mr. Pickwick-“that if I were to stop in this house for six months, I would never trust myself about it alone again." "That's the very prudentest resolution as you could come to, sir," replied Mr. Weller. "You rather want somebody to look arter you, sir, wen your judgment goes out awisitin'." "What do you mean by that, Sam?" said Mr. Pickwick. He raised himself in bed and extended his hand; as if he were about to say something more, but, suddenly checking himself, turned round and bade his valet "Good-night." "Good-night, sir," replied Mr. Weller. He paused when he got outside the door, shook his head, walked on, stopped, snuffed the candle, shook his head again, and finally proceeded slowly to his chamber, apparently buried in the profoundest meditation. CHARLES DICKENS. SIR ISAAC NEWTON. versation with the Boots, who was sitting up NATURE and Nature's laws lay hid in for the mail, was now about to retire to rest. "Sam," said Mr. Pickwick, suddenly appearing before him, "where's my bedroom?" night; God said, Let Newton be! and all was light. ALEXANDER POPE. 2 872950 |