.
    »He - he - he,« tittered Mr. Magnus, affecting cheerfulness, and gasping
with agitation. »It only wants two minutes, Mr. Pickwick. Am I pale, sir?«
    »Not very,« replied Mr. Pickwick.
    There was a brief pause.
    »I beg your pardon, Mr. Pickwick; but have you ever done this sort of thing
in your time?« said Mr. Magnus.
    »You mean proposing?« said Mr. Pickwick.
    »Yes.«
    »Never,« said Mr. Pickwick, with great energy, »never.«
    »You have no idea, then, how it's best to begin?« said Mr. Magnus.
    »Why,« said Mr. Pickwick, »I may have formed some ideas upon the subject,
but, as I have never submitted them to the test of experience, I should be sorry
if you were induced to regulate your proceedings by them.«
    »I should feel very much obliged to you, for any advice, sir,« said Mr.
Magnus, taking another look at the clock: the hand of which was verging on the
five minutes past.
    »Well, sir,« said Mr. Pickwick, with the profound solemnity with which that
great man could, when he pleased, render his remarks so deeply impressive: »I
should commence, sir, with a tribute to the lady's beauty and excellent
qualities; from them, sir, I should diverge to my own unworthiness.«
    »Very good,« said Mr. Magnus.
    »Unworthiness for her only, mind, sir,« resumed Mr. Pickwick; »for to shew
that I was not wholly unworthy, sir, I should take a brief review of my past
life, and present condition. I should argue, by analogy, that to anybody else, I
must be a very desirable object. I should then expatiate on the warmth of my
love, and the depth of my devotion. Perhaps I might then be tempted to seize her
hand.«
    »Yes, I see,« said Mr. Magnus; »that would be a very great point.«
    »I should then, sir,« continued Mr. Pickwick, growing warmer as the subject
presented itself in more glowing colours before him: »I should then, sir, come
to the plain and simple question, Will you have me? I think I am justified in
assuming that upon this, she would turn away her head.«
    »You think that may be taken for granted?«