That the landlord was a man of a money-making turn, was sufficiently testified by the fact of a small bulk-head beneath the tap-room window, in size and shape not unlike a sedan-chair, being underlet to a mender of shoes: and that he was a being of a philanthropic mind, was evident from the protection he afforded to a pieman, who vended his delicacies without fear of interruption on the very door-step.In the lower windows, which were decorated with curtains of a saffron hue, dangled two or three printed cards, bearing reference to Devonshire cyder and Dantzic spruce, while a large black board, announcing in white letters to an enlightened public that there were 500,000barrels of double stout in the cellars of the establishment, left the mind in a state of not unpleasing doubt and uncertainty as to the precise direction in the bowels of the earth, in which this mighty cavern might be supposed to extend.When we add, that the weather-beaten sign-board bore the half-obliterated semblance of a magpie intently eyeing a crooked streak of brown paint, which the neighbours had been taught from infancy to consider as the "stump,"we have said all that need be said of the exterior of the edifice.
On Mr.Pickwick's presenting himself at the bar, an elderly female emerged from behind a screen therein, and presented herself before him.
"Is Mr.Lowten here, ma'am?" inquired Mr.Pickwick.
"Yes he is, sir," replied the landlady."Here, Charley, show the gentleman in, to Mr.Lowten.""The gen'l'm'n can't go in just now," said a shambling pot-boy, with a red head, "'cos Mr.Lowten's a singin' a comic song, and he'll put him out.He'll be done d'rectly, sir."The red-headed pot-boy had scarcely finished speaking, when a most unanimous hammering of tables, and jingling of glasses, announced that the song had that instant terminated; and Mr.Pickwick, after desiring Sam to solace himself in the tap, suffered himself to be conducted into the presence of Mr.Lowten.
At the announcement of "gentleman to speak to you sir," a puffy-faced young man, who filled the chair at the head of the table, looked with some surprise in the direction from whence the voice proceeded: and the surprise seemed to be by no means diminished, when his eyes rested on an individual whom he had never seen before.
"I beg your pardon, sir," said Mr.Pickwick, "and I am very sorry to disturb the other gentlemen, too, but I come on very particular business;and if you will suffer me to detain you at this end of the room for five minutes, I shall be very much obliged to you."The puffy-faced young man rose, and drawing a chair close to Mr.Pickwick in an obscure corner of the room, listened attentively to his tale of woe.
"Ah," he said, when Mr.Pickwick had concluded, "Dodson and Fogg--sharp practice theirs--capital men of business, Dodson and Fogg, sir."Mr.Pickwick admitted the sharp practice of Dodson and Fogg, and Lowten resumed.
"Perker ain't in town, and he won't be, neither, before the end of next week; but if you want the action defended, and will leave the copy with me, I can do all that's needful till he comes back.""That's exactly what I came here for," said Mr.Pickwick, handing over the document."If anything particular occurs, you can write to me at the post-office, Ipswich.""That's all right," replied Mr.Perker's clerk; and then seeing Mr.
Pickwick's eye wandering curiously towards the table, he added, "Will you join us, for half-an-hour or so? We are capital company here to-night.