, might, with equal reason, repair to Birmingham to seek Mr. Winkle,
senior; lastly, that Mr. Winkle, senior, had good right and title to consider
Mr. Pickwick as in some degree the guardian and adviser of his son, and that it
consequently behoved that gentleman, and was indeed due to his personal
character, to acquaint the aforesaid Winkle, senior, personally, and by word of
mouth, with the whole circumstances of the case, and with the share he had taken
in the transaction.
    Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass arrived, most opportunely, in this stage of the
pleadings, and as it was necessary to explain to them all that had occurred,
together with the various reasons pro and con, the whole of the arguments were
gone over again, after which everybody urged every argument in his own way, and
at his own length. And, at last, Mr. Pickwick, fairly argued and remonstrated
out of all his resolutions, and being in imminent danger of being argued and
remonstrated out of his wits, caught Arabella in his arms, and declaring that
she was a very amiable creature, and that he didn't know how it was, but he had
always been very fond of her from the first, said he could never find it in his
heart to stand in the way of young people's happiness, and they might do with
him as they pleased.
    Mr. Weller's first act, on hearing this concession, was to despatch Job
Trotter to the illustrious Mr. Pell, with an authority to deliver to the bearer
the formal discharge which his prudent parent had had the foresight to leave in
the hands of that learned gentleman, in case it should be, at any time, required
on an emergency; his next proceeding was, to invest his whole stock of ready
money, in the purchase of five-and-twenty gallons of mild porter: which he
himself dispensed on the racket ground to everybody who would partake of it;
this done, he hurra'd in divers parts of the building until he lost his voice,
and then quietly relapsed into his usual collected and philosophical condition.
    At three o'clock that afternoon, Mr. Pickwick took a last look at his little
room, and made his way, as well as he could, through the throng of debtors who
pressed eagerly forward to shake him by the hand, until he reached the lodge
steps. He turned here, to look about him, and his eye lightened as he did so. In
all the crowd of wan, emaciated faces
