stopped this irregular cross-examination at the outset (which he



knew better than to do; observing Mr. Winkle's anxiety, and well



knowing it would, in all probability, lead to something serviceable



to him), this unfortunate admission would not have been elicited.



The moment the words fell from Mr. Winkle's lips, Mr. Phunky sat



down, and Serjeant Snubbin rather hastily told him he might



leave the box, which Mr. Winkle prepared to do with great



readiness, when Serjeant Buzfuz stopped him.



'Stay, Mr. Winkle, stay!' said Serjeant Buzfuz, 'will your



Lordship have the goodness to ask him, what this one instance of



suspicious behaviour towards females on the part of this



gentleman, who is old enough to be his father, was?'



'You hear what the learned counsel says, sir,' observed the



judge, turning to the miserable and agonised Mr. Winkle.



'Describe the occasion to which you refer.'



'My Lord,' said Mr. Winkle, trembling with anxiety, 'I―I'd



rather not.'



'Perhaps so,' said the little judge; 'but you must.'



Amid the profound silence of the whole court, Mr. Winkle



faltered out, that the trifling circumstance of suspicion was Mr.



Pickwick's being found in a lady's sleeping-apartment at midnight;



which had terminated, he believed, in the breaking off of the



projected marriage of the lady in question, and had led, he knew,



to the whole party being forcibly carried before George Nupkins,



Esq., magistrate and justice of the peace, for the borough of



Ipswich!



'You may leave the box, sir,' said Serjeant Snubbin. Mr. Winkle



did leave the box, and rushed with delirious haste to the George



and Vulture, where he was discovered some hours after, by the



waiter, groaning in a hollow and dismal manner, with his head



buried beneath the sofa cushions.



Tracy Tupman, and Augustus Snodgrass, were severally called



into the box; both corroborated the testimony of their unhappy



friend; and each was driven to the verge of desperation by



excessive badgering.



Susannah Sanders was then called, and examined by Serjeant



Buzfuz, and cross-examined by Serjeant Snubbin. Had always



said and believed that Pickwick would marry Mrs. Bardell; knew



that Mrs. Bardell's being engaged to Pickwick was the current



topic of conversation in the neighbourhood, after the fainting in



July; had been told it herself by Mrs. Mudberry which kept a



mangle, and Mrs. Bunkin which clear-starched, but did not see



either Mrs. Mudberry or Mrs. Bunkin in court. Had heard



Pickwick ask the little boy how he should like to have another



father. Did not know that Mrs. Bardell was at that time keeping



company with the baker, but did know that the baker was then a



single man and is now married. Couldn't swear that Mrs. Bardell



was not very fond of the baker, but should think that the baker



was not very fond of Mrs. Bardell, or he wouldn't have married



somebody else. Thought Mrs. Bardell fainted away on the morning



in July, because Pickwick asked her to name the day: knew that



she (witness) fainted away stone dead when Mr. Sanders asked her



to name the day, and believed that everybody as called herself a



lady would do the same, under similar circumstances. Heard



Pickwick ask the boy the question about the marbles, but upon



her oath did not know the difference between an 'alley tor' and a



'commoney.'



By the Court.―During the period of her keeping company with



Mr. Sanders, had received love letters, like other ladies. In the



course of their correspondence Mr. Sanders had often called her a



'duck,' but never 'chops,' nor yet 'tomato sauce.' He was



particularly fond of ducks. Perhaps if he had been as fond of chops



and tomato sauce, he might have called her that, as a term of



affection.



Serjeant Buzfuz now rose with more importance than he had



yet exhibited, if that were possible, and vociferated; 'Call Samuel



Weller.'



It was quite unnecessary to call Samuel Weller; for Samuel



Weller stepped briskly into the box the instant his name was



pronounced; and placing his hat on the floor, and his arms on the



rail, took a bird's-eye view of the Bar, and a comprehensive survey



of the Bench, with a remarkably cheerful and lively aspect. 'What's



your name, sir?' inquired the judge.



'Sam Weller, my Lord,' replied that gentleman.



'Do you spell it with a "V" or a "W"?' inquired the judge.



'That depends upon the taste and fancy of the speller, my Lord,'



replied Sam; 'I never had occasion to spell it more than once or



twice in my life, but I spells it with a "V." '



Here a voice in the gallery exclaimed aloud, 'Quite right too,



Samivel, quite right. Put it down a "we," my Lord, put it down a



"we."'



'Who is that, who dares address the court?' said the little judge,



looking up. 'Usher.'



'Yes, my Lord.'



'Bring that person here instantly.'



'Yes, my Lord.'



But as the usher didn't find the person, he didn't bring him;



and, after a great commotion, all the people who had got up to look



for the culprit, sat down again. The little judge turned to the



witness as soon as his indignation would allow him to speak, and



said―



'Do you know who that was, sir?'



'I rayther suspect it was my father, my lord,' replied Sam.



'Do you see him here now?' said the judge.



'No, I don't, my Lord,' replied Sam, staring right up into the



lantern at the roof of the court.



'If you could have pointed him out, I would have committed him



instantly,' said the judge. Sam bowed his acknowledgments and



turned, with unimpaired cheerfulness of countenance, towards



Serjeant Buzfuz.



'Now, Mr. Weller,' said Serjeant Buzfuz.



'Now, sir,' replied Sam.



'I believe you are in the service of Mr. Pickwick, the defendant



in this case? Speak up, if you please, Mr. Weller.'



'I mean to speak up, sir,' replied Sam; 'I am in the service o'



that 'ere gen'l'man, and a wery good service it is.'



'Little to do, and plenty to get, I suppose?' said Serjeant Buzfuz,



with jocularity. 'Oh, quite enough to get, sir, as the soldier said ven



they ordered him three hundred and fifty lashes,' replied Sam.



'You must not tell us what the soldier, or any other man, said,



sir,' interposed the judge; 'it's not evidence.'



'Wery good, my Lord,' replied Sam.



'Do you recollect anything particular happening on the



morning when you were first engaged by the defendant; eh, Mr.



Weller?' said Serjeant Buzfuz.



'Yes, I do, sir,' replied Sam.



'Have the goodness to tell the jury what it was.'



'I had a reg'lar new fit out o' clothes that mornin', gen'l'men of



the jury,' said Sam, 'and that was a wery partickler and



uncommon circumstance vith me in those days.'



Hereupon there was a general laugh; and the little judge,



looking with an angry countenance over his desk, said, 'You had



better be careful, sir.'



'So Mr. Pickwick said at the time, my Lord,' replied Sam; 'and I



was wery careful o' that 'ere suit o' clothes; wery careful indeed,



my Lord.'



The judge looked sternly at Sam for full two minutes, but Sam's



features were so perfectly calm and serene that the judge said



nothing, and motioned Serjeant Buzfuz to proceed.



'Do you mean to tell me, Mr. Weller,' said Serjeant Buzfuz,



folding his arms emphatically" title="ad.强调地；断然地">emphatically, and turning half-round to the jury,



as if in mute assurance that he would bother the witness yet―'do



you mean to tell me, Mr. Weller, that you saw nothing of this



fainting on the part of the plaintiff in the arms of the defendant,



which you have heard described by the witnesses?'



'Certainly not,' replied Sam; 'I was in the passage till they called



me up, and then the old lady was not there.'



'Now, attend, Mr. Weller,' said Serjeant Buzfuz, dipping a large



pen into the inkstand before him, for the purpose of frightening



Sam with a show of taking down his answer. 'You were in the



passage, and yet saw nothing of what was going forward. Have you



a pair of eyes, Mr. Weller?'



'Yes, I have a pair of eyes,' replied Sam, 'and that's just it. If



they wos a pair o' patent double million magnifyin' gas



microscopes of hextra power, p'raps I might be able to see through



a flight o' stairs and a deal door; but bein' only eyes, you see, my



wision's limited.'



At this answer, which was delivered without the slightest



appearance of irritation, and with the most complete simplicity



and equanimity of manner, the spectators tittered, the little judge



smiled, and Serjeant Buzfuz looked particularly foolish. After a



short consultation with Dodson & Fogg, the learned Serjeant



again turned towards Sam, and said, with a painful effort to



conceal his vexation, 'Now, Mr. Weller, I'll ask you a question on



another point, if you please.'



'If you please, sir,' rejoined Sam, with the utmost good-humour.



'Do you remember going up to Mrs. Bardell's house, one night



in November last?'



'Oh, yes, wery well.'



'Oh, you do remember that, Mr. Weller,' said Serjeant Buzfuz,



recovering his spirits; 'I thought we should get at something at



last.'



'I rayther thought that, too, sir,' replied Sam; and at this the



spectators tittered again.



'Well; I suppose you went up to have a little talk about this



trial―eh, Mr. Weller?' said Serjeant Buzfuz, looking knowingly at



the jury.



'I went up to pay the rent; but we did get a-talkin' about the



trial,' replied Sam.



'Oh, you did get a-talking about the trial,' said Serjeant Buzfuz,



brightening up with the anticipation of some important discovery.



'Now, what passed about the trial; will you have the goodness to



tell us, Mr. Weller'?'



'Vith all the pleasure in life, sir,' replied Sam. 'Arter a few



unimportant obserwations from the two wirtuous females as has



been examined here to-day, the ladies gets into a very great state



o' admiration at the honourable conduct of Mr. Dodson and



Fogg―them two gen'l'men as is settin' near you now.' This, of



course, drew general attention to Dodson & Fogg, who looked as



virtuous as possible.



'The attorneys for the plaintiff,' said Mr. Serjeant Buzfuz. 'Well!



They spoke in high praise of the honourable conduct of Messrs.



Dodson and Fogg, the attorneys for the plaintiff, did they?'



'Yes,' said Sam, 'they said what a wery gen'rous thing it was o'



them to have taken up the case on spec, and to charge nothing at



all for costs, unless they got 'em out of Mr. Pickwick.'



At this very unexpected reply, the spectators tittered again, and



Dodson & Fogg, turning very red, leaned over to Serjeant Buzfuz,



and in a hurried manner whispered something in his ear.



'You are quite right,' said Serjeant Buzfuz aloud, with affected



composure. 'It's perfectly useless, my Lord, attempting to get at



any evidence through the impenetrable stupidity of this witness. I



will not trouble the court by asking him any more questions. Stand



down, sir.'



'Would any other gen'l'man like to ask me anythin'?' inquired



Sam, taking up his hat, and looking round most deliberately.



'Not I, Mr. Weller, thank you,' said Serjeant Snubbin, laughing.



'You may go down, sir,' said Serjeant Buzfuz, waving his hand



impatiently. Sam went down accordingly, after doing Messrs.



Dodson & Fogg's case as much harm as he conveniently could,



and saying just as little respecting Mr. Pickwick as might be,



which was precisely the object he had had in view all along.



'I have no objection to admit, my Lord,' said Serjeant Snubbin,



'if it will save the examination of another witness, that Mr.



Pickwick has retired from business, and is a gentleman of



considerable independent property.'



'Very well,' said Serjeant Buzfuz, putting in the two letters to be



read, 'then that's my case, my Lord.'



Serjeant Snubbin then addressed the jury on behalf of the



defendant; and a very long and a very emphatic address he



delivered, in which he bestowed the highest possible eulogiums on



the conduct and character of Mr. Pickwick; but inasmuch as our



readers are far better able to form a correct estimate of that



gentleman's merits and deserts, than Serjeant Snubbin could



possibly be, we do not feel called upon to enter at any length into



the learned gentleman's observations. He attempted to show that



the letters which had been exhibited, merely related to Mr.



Pickwick's dinner, or to the preparations for receiving him in his



apartments on his return from some country excursion. It is



sufficient to add in general terms, that he did the best he could for



Mr. Pickwick; and the best, as everybody knows, on the infallible



authority of the old adage, could do no more.



Mr. Justice Stareleigh summed up, in the old-established and



most approved form. He read as much of his notes to the jury as he



could decipher on so short a notice, and made running-comments



on the evidence as he went along. If Mrs. Bardell were right, it was



perfectly clear that Mr. Pickwick was wrong, and if they thought



the evidence of Mrs. Cluppins worthy of credence they would



believe it, and, if they didn't, why, they wouldn't. If they were



satisfied that a breach of promise of marriage had been committed



they would find for the plaintiff with such damages as they



thought proper; and if, on the other hand, it appeared to them that



no promise of marriage had ever been given, they would find for



the defendant with no damages at all. The jury then retired to



their private room to talk the matter over, and the judge retired to



his private room, to refresh himself with a mutton chop and a glass



of sherry. An anxious quarter of a hour elapsed; the jury came



back; the judge was fetched in. Mr. Pickwick put on his spectacles,



and gazed at the foreman with an agitated countenance and a



quickly-beating heart.



'Gentlemen,' said the individual in black, 'are you all agreed



upon your verdict?'



'We are,' replied the foreman.



'Do you find for the plaintiff, gentlemen, or for the defendant?'



'For the plaintiff.'



'With what damages, gentlemen?'



'Seven hundred and fifty pounds.'



Mr. Pickwick took off his spectacles, carefully wiped the glasses,



folded them into their case, and put them in his pocket; then,



having drawn on his gloves with great nicety, and stared at the



foreman all the while, he mechanically followed Mr. Perker and



the blue bag out of court.



They stopped in a side room while Perker paid the court fees;



and here, Mr. Pickwick was joined by his friends. Here, too, he



encountered Messrs. Dodson & Fogg, rubbing their hands with



every token of outward satisfaction.



'Well, gentlemen,' said Mr. Pickwick.



'Well, sir,' said Dodson, for self and partner.



'You imagine you'll get your costs, don't you, gentlemen?' said



Mr. Pickwick.



Fogg said they thought it rather probable. Dodson smiled, and



said they'd try.



'You may try, and try, and try again, Messrs. Dodson and Fogg,'



said Mr. Pickwick vehemently,' but not one farthing of costs or



damages do you ever get from me, if I spend the rest of my



existence in a debtor's prison.'



'Ha! ha!' laughed Dodson. 'You'll think better of that, before



next term, Mr. Pickwick.'



'He, he, he! We'll soon see about that, Mr. Pickwick,' grinned



Fogg.



Speechless with indignation, Mr. Pickwick allowed himself to



be led by his solicitor and friends to the door, and there assisted



into a hackney-coach, which had been fetched for the purpose, by



the ever-watchful Sam Weller.



Sam had put up the steps, and was preparing to jump upon the



box, when he felt himself gently touched on the shoulder; and,



looking round, his father stood before him. The old gentleman's



countenance wore a mournful expression, as he shook his head



gravely, and said, in warning accents―



'I know'd what 'ud come o' this here mode o' doin' bisness. Oh,



Sammy, Sammy, vy worn't there a alleybi!'

关键字:匹克威克外传

生词表: