Tales from Dickens Part 25

Snodgra.s.s, unluckily, stayed too long. As he was leaving, he heard Mr.

Wardle, with Mr. Pickwick and Winkle, coming up the stair. He was obliged to retreat, and took refuge in Mr. Wardle's bedroom, from which there was no escape, save through the dining-room.

The dinner hour was a painful one to Emily, for the fat boy's secret kept him awake, and he winked at her and at Arabella so often that Mr.

Wardle noticed it. The latter sent him into the bedroom finally for his snuff-box and he came out very pale, Mr. Snodgra.s.s having seized him there, and begged him to tell some one secretly to release him.

Accordingly the fat boy made desperate efforts to attract Mr. Pickwick's attention--first by making faces at him when he thought no one else was looking and finally by running a pin into his leg. But this did not have the desired results. Mr. Pickwick concluded he was crazy, and Mr. Wardle was about to have him taken down stairs, when into the confusion, with a very red face, walked Snodgra.s.s, out of the bedroom. He explained his presence there, declared his love for Emily, was forgiven on the spot and joined the dinner.

The happiness of all was complete when old Mr. Winkle arrived (having made up his mind to see his son's wife and judge for himself) and found Arabella so sweet that he kissed her and forgave Winkle on the instant.

Thus the last adventure of the Pickwickians ended happily. Mr. Pickwick had seen, before this, that the marriage of his companions would change his own life. He withdrew his name from the Pickwick Club (which thereupon went to pieces), and purchased a house near London for the entertainment of his friends, and there a few days later Snodgra.s.s and Emily were married in the presence of Mr. Wardle and all the Pickwickians.

After the wedding, Snodgra.s.s bought a farm near Dingley Dell where, with Emily, he lived many years, and was always accounted a great poet on account of his pensive and absent-minded manner. Winkle, with Arabella, settled a half-mile from Mr. Pickwick. Tupman never again fell in love, though for years his romantic air made him the admiration of numerous single ladies of the neighborhood.

Ben Allen and Bob Sawyer went to India as surgeons where (after having had yellow fever fourteen times) they became teetotalers and thereafter did well. Mrs. Bardell continued to let lodgings to single gentlemen, but never had another breach of promise suit. Old Tony Weller finally gave up business and retired to live on the interest of the money Mr.

Pickwick had invested for him, having, to the end of his life, a great dislike for widows. His son, Sam, remaining faithful to his master, Mr.

Pickwick at length made Mary, the pretty maid, his housekeeper, on condition that she marry Sam, which she did at once.

Mr. Pickwick lived happily, occupied in writing his adventures and in acting as G.o.dfather to the children of Snodgra.s.s and Winkle. He never regretted what he had done for Jingle and Job Trotter, who became in time worthy members of society. He was a favorite with all and the children loved him. Every year he went to Mr. Wardle's to a large merrymaking, attended by his faithful Sam Weller, between whom and his master there was a regard that nothing but death could end.

LITTLE DORRIT

Published 1855-1857

_Scene_: London and Various Places on the Continent

_Time_: 1827 to 1830

CHARACTERS

Mr. Dorrit An inmate of the debtors' prison Known as "The Father of the Marshalsea." Later a wealthy man of the world

"Little Dorrit" His daughter Amy

f.a.n.n.y His older daughter

"Tip" His son

Mrs. General His daughters' chaperon

Arthur Clennam Little Dorrit's champion

Mr. Clennam His father

Mrs. Clennam His supposed mother

Flintwinch A family servant Later Mrs. Clennam's partner in business

Affery His wife, and Mrs. Clennam's servant

Pancks A rent collector. Little Dorrit's friend

John Chivery The son of one of the prison turnkeys Little Dorrit's suitor

Maggy A half-witted woman

Doyce An inventor. Arthur's partner in business

Rigaud A blackmailing adventurer and jailbird

Mr. t.i.te Barnacle A self-important official in the "Circ.u.mlocution Office"

Mr. Merdle A supposedly wealthy man of affairs in London

Mrs. Merdle His wife

Mr. Meagles A business man. Arthur's friend

Mrs. Meagles His wife

"Pet" Their daughter

"Tattycoram" Pet's maid

LITTLE DORRIT

I

HOW ARTHUR CAME HOME FROM CHINA

A long, long time ago there lived in London a young man named Clennam.

He was an orphan, and was brought up by a stern uncle, who crushed and repressed his youth and finally forced him to marry a cold, unfeeling, stubborn woman whom he did not in the least love.

Some time before this marriage, the nephew had met a beautiful young woman, also an orphan, whom a rich man named Dorrit was educating to be a singer, since she had a remarkable voice. Clennam had fallen in love with her and had persuaded her to give him all her love in return. There had even been a kind of ceremony of marriage between them.

But they were both very poor and could not really marry for fear of the anger of Clennam's cruel uncle, who finally compelled his nephew to marry the other woman, whom he had picked out for him. And the singer, because she loved him and could not bear to see him made a beggar, gave him up. So Clennam married one woman while loving another, and this, as all wrong things must do, resulted in unhappiness for them both.

The singer had given him a little silk watch-paper worked in beads with the initials D. N. F. These letters stood for the words, "Do Not Forget."

The wife saw the paper with her husband's watch in his secret drawer and wondered what it meant. One day she found an old letter, that had pa.s.sed between her husband and the singer, which explained the initials and betrayed the secret of their love.