'Puss, puss, puss,--tit, tit, tit.' But no animal being decoyed by these blandishments, the girl slowly closed the door, and re-fastened it; leaving Mr.Pickwick drawn up straight against the wall.
'This is very curious,' thought Mr.Pickwick.

'They are sitting up beyond their usual hour, I suppose.

Extremely unfortunate, that they should have chosen this night, of all others, for such a purpose--exceedingly.' And with these thoughts, Mr.Pickwick cautiously retired to the angle of the wall in which he had been before ensconced; waiting until such time as he might deem it safe to repeat the signal.
He had not been here five minutes, when a vivid flash of lightning was followed by a loud peal of thunder that crashed and rolled away in the distance with a terrific noise--then came another flash of lightning, brighter than the other, and a second peal of thunder louder than the first; and then down came the rain, with a force and fury that swept everything before it.
Mr.Pickwick was perfectly aware that a tree is a very dangerous neighbour in a thunderstorm.

He had a tree on his right, a tree on his left, a third before him, and a fourth behind.

If he remained where he was, he might fall the victim of an accident; if he showed himself in the centre of the garden, he might be consigned to a constable.