登陆注册
15330400000021

第21章

There are very few moments in a man's existence when he experiences so much ludicrous distress, or meets with so little charitable commiseration, as when he is in pursuit of his own hat.A vast deal of coolness, and a peculiar degree of judgment, are requisite in catching a hat.A man must not be precipitate, or he runs over it; he must not rush into the opposite extreme, or he loses it altogether.The best way is, to keep gently up with the object of pursuit, to be wary and cautious, to watch your opportunity well, get gradually before it, then make a rapid dive, seize it by the crown, and stick it firmly on your head: smiling pleasantly all the time, as if you thought it as good a joke as anybody else.

There was a fine gentle wind, and Mr.Pickwick's hat rolled sportively before it.The wind puffed, and Mr.Pickwick puffed, and the hat rolled over and over as merrily as a lively porpoise in a strong tide; and on it might have rolled, far beyond Mr.Pickwick's reach, had not its course been providentially stopped, just as that gentleman was on the point of resigning it to its fate.

Mr.Pickwick, we say, was completely exhausted, and about to give up the chase, when the hat was blown with some violence against the wheel of a carriage, which was drawn up in a line with half-a-dozen other vehicles on the spot to which his steps had been directed.Mr.Pickwick, perceiving his advantage, darted briskly forward, secured his property, planted it on his head, and paused to take breath.He had not been stationary half a minute, when he heard his own name eagerly pronounced by a voice, which he at once recognised as Mr.Tupman's, and, looking upwards, he beheld a sight which filled him with surprise and pleasure.

In an open barouche, the horses of which had been taken out, the better to accommodate it to the crowded place, stood a stout old gentleman, in a blue coat and bright buttons, corduroy breeches and top-boots, two young ladies in scarfs and feathers, a young gentleman apparently enamoured of one of the young ladies in scarfs and feathers, a lady of doubtful age, probably the aunt of the aforesaid, and Mr.Tupman, as easy and unconcerned as if he had belonged to the family from the first moments of his infancy.

Fastened up behind the barouche was a hamper of spacious dimensions--one of those hampers which always awakens in a contemplative mind associations connected with cold fowls, tongues, and bottles of wine--and on the box sat a fat and red-faced boy, in a state of somnolency, whom no speculative observer could have regarded for an instant without setting down as the official dispenser of the contents of the before-mentioned hamper, when the proper time for their consumption should arrive.

Mr.Pickwick had bestowed a hasty glance on these interesting objects, when he was again greeted by his faithful disciple.

"Pickwick--Pickwick," said Mr.Tupman: "come up here.Make haste.""Come along, sir.Pray, come up," said the stout gentleman."Joe!--damn that boy, he's gone to sleep again.--Joe, let down the steps." The fat boy rolled slowly off the box, let down the steps, and held the carriage door invitingly open.Mr.Snodgrass and Mr.Winkle came up at the moment.

"Room for you all, gentlemen," said the stout man."Two inside, and one out.Joe, make room for one of these gentlemen on the box.Now, sir, come along;" and the stout gentleman extended his arm, and pulled first Mr.Pickwick, and then Mr.Snodgrass, into the barouche by main force.

Mr.Winkle mounted to the box, the fat boy waddled to the same perch, and fell fast asleep instantly.

"Well, gentlemen," said the stout man, "very glad to see you.Know you very well, gentlemen, though you mayn't remember me.I spent some ev'nins at your club last winter--picked up my friend Mr.Tupman here this morning, and very glad I was to see him.Well, sir, and how are you? You do look uncommon well, to be sure."Mr.Pickwick acknowledged the compliment, and cordially shook hands with the stout gentleman in the top boots.

"Well, and how are you, sir?" said the stout gentleman, addressing Mr.

Snodgrass with paternal anxiety."Charming, eh? Well, that's right--that's right.And how are you, sir (to Mr.Winkle)? Well, I am glad to hear you say you are well; very glad I am, to be sure.My daughters, gentlemen--my gals these are; and that's my sister, Miss Rachael Wardle.She's a Miss, she is; and yet she an't a Miss--eh, sir, eh?" And the stout gentleman playfully inserted his elbow between the ribs of Mr.Pickwick, and laughed very heartily.

"Lor, brother!" said Miss Wardle, with a deprecating smile.

"True, true," said the stout gentleman; "no one can deny it.Gentlemen, I beg your pardon; this is my friend Mr.Trundle.And now you all know each other, let's be comfortable and happy, and see what's going forward;that's what I say." So the stout gentleman put on his spectacles, and Mr.

Pickwick pulled out his glass, and everybody stood up in the carriage, and looked over somebody else's shoulder at the evolutions of the military.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 改变性格改变一生

    改变性格改变一生

    在这个充满机遇与挑战的时代里,我们只有不断地调试、改变自己的性格,使之与社会群体相适应,才能跟上时代的节拍,获得和谐健康的发展。性格孤僻的人,不妨变得活跃一点点,涌入欢快的人流,随跃动的节拍起舞。性格悲观的人,不妨变得乐观一点点,让窗外的阳光驱散心底的阴霾,性格暴躁的人,不妨变得沉静一点点,一杯清茶,一本好书,伴着书香体味人生的静谧……人只有不断尝试着改变自己的性格,才会发现自己身上的可塑性,拥有更多成功的机会。
  • 神医嫡妃

    神医嫡妃

    堂姐处心谋害,枕边人冰冷无情,庶伯的阴险狡诈,当满门抄斩她才知道眼前所谓的安稳不过是浮云。再次醒来,她依旧是叶府嫡女,为保家人她学医,为求安稳她步步为营,说她心狠手辣她丝毫不在乎,重活一世她要的是锦绣一生。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 血旗袍

    血旗袍

    一幢古老诡异的西式洋房,一段玄乎其玄的诅咒传说,一场骇人听闻的离奇凶案,一首摄人心魄的恐怖歌谣,一袭染血的华美旗袍,一段被尘封的陈年往事。她的一生都在爱与恨间纠缠,她说,在这世界上我唯一不会伤害的只有你……
  • 异界之修者

    异界之修者

    如果你点进这本书,便进入不一样的世界。这里有最热血的,最感人的,最搞笑的,最劲爆的只有你想不到,没有我写不出来的剧情,一定会让你眼前一亮的。来吧!跟着我进去这个世界,老司机带你们飞~
  • 雷恩加尓在地球

    雷恩加尓在地球

    他叫雷恩加尓从地球穿越而来,穿越过来后竟然得到了妖精的尾巴的灭龙魔法,真6。
  • 火澜

    火澜

    当一个现代杀手之王穿越到这个世界。是隐匿,还是崛起。一场血雨腥风的传奇被她改写。一条无上的强者之路被她踏破。修斗气,炼元丹,收兽宠,化神器,大闹皇宫,炸毁学院,打死院长,秒杀狗男女,震惊大陆。无止尽的契约能力,上古神兽,千年魔兽,纷纷前来抱大腿,惊傻世人。她说:在我眼里没有好坏之分,只有强弱之分,只要你能打败我,这世间所有都是你的,打不败我,就从这世间永远消失。她狂,她傲,她的目标只有一个,就是凌驾这世间一切之上。三国皇帝,魔界妖王,冥界之主,仙界至尊。到底谁才是陪着她走到最后的那个?他说:上天入地,我会陪着你,你活着,有我,你死,也一定有我。本文一对一,男强女强,强强联手,不喜勿入。
  • 妖孽帝少:盛宠小傲妃

    妖孽帝少:盛宠小傲妃

    她,是现代修仙界的天才修仙少女,一朝穿越,她追求绝对的自由。天地任我行,恣意江湖。他,强势霸道,狂放不羁,只是遇见那个女人后,让他所有的感官只系于她,甘愿为她一念成佛,亦一念成魔。他说:"活在一个没有你的世界,比任何一种惩罚还要痛苦,成佛也好,成魔也罢,我只要你留在我身边!”她说:“你知道吗,对我而言,你比自由还重要。如果你是牢,我愿意永远受缚。”
  • 风浪王朝

    风浪王朝

    雪寒宫藏着一个又一个的秘密据说只要吃了一个雪寒宫的弟子就会有五十年的功力如果是雪寒宫的宫主,则会有五千年的功力据说雪寒宫里有一条灵蛇,体内有八棵灵丹只要吃一棵就会有千年的神功力量,那八棵就是八千年据说雪寒宫里有一个冰蝶谷,每一只冰蝶都能让人起死回生据说雪寒宫里有一个冰池,池里种着冰莲花,每一朵冰莲花也能让人起死回生据说雪寒宫的七位宫主是天上的仙女转世,所以只要吃一个宫主就会有五千年的神功力量据说……雪寒宫里藏着太多的秘密,太多的据说,至于是真是假也引了来江湖人士的偷规,他们都想到这世间最寒冷的极寒之地——雪寒宫因为太多的据说,也埋下了雪寒宫的消失根源。灵蛇被捉,雪寒宫的两位宫主亲自下山捉拿叛徒及以追查背后的真相。到底是谁在背后操弄着皇权?
  • 元素修灵记

    元素修灵记

    明恺因掉进井里穿越,摔跤捡到宝,后觉醒出稀有双元素,并与神秘器灵结为师徒关系,最后成为强者。
  • 就业与创业指导

    就业与创业指导

    就业是民生之本,毕业生就业工作是关系到千家万户的大事。面对日益严峻的就业形势,做好毕业生的就业工作已成为当前职业院校改革与发展的一项紧迫任务。