The door was scarcely shut, when old Fogg turned round to me, with a sweet smile on his face, and drew the declaration out of his coat pocket.

"Here, Wicks," says Fogg, "take a cab, and go down to the Temple as quick as you can, and file that.

The costs are quite safe, for he's a steady man with a large family, at a salary of five-and-twenty shillings a week, and if he gives us a warrant of attorney, as he must in the end, I know his employers will see it paid; so we may as well get all we can get out of him, Mr.Wicks; it's a Christian act to do it, Mr.Wicks, for with his large family and small income, he'll be all the better for a good lesson against getting into debt--won't he, Mr.Wicks, won't he ?"--and he smiled so good-naturedly as he went away, that it was delightful to see him.

He is a capital man of business,' said Wicks, in a tone of the deepest admiration, 'capital, isn't he ?' The other three cordially subscribed to this opinion, and the anecdote afforded the most unlimited satisfaction.
'Nice men these here, Sir,' whispered Mr.Weller to his master; 'wery nice notion of fun they has, Sir.' Mr.Pickwick nodded assent, and coughed to attract the attention of the young gentlemen behind the partition, who, having now relaxed their minds by a little conversation among themselves, condescended to take some notice of the stranger.
'I wonder whether Fogg's disengaged now ?' said Jackson.
'I'll see,' said Wicks, dismounting leisurely from his stool.

'What name shall I tell Mr.Fogg ?' 'Pickwick,' replied the illustrious subject of these memoirs.
Mr.Jackson departed upstairs on his errand, and immediately returned with a message that Mr.Fogg would see Mr.Pickwick in five minutes; and having delivered it, returned again to his desk.
'What did he say his name was ?' whispered Wicks.
'Pickwick,' replied Jackson; 'it's the defendant in Bardell and Pickwick.' A sudden scraping of feet, mingled with the sound of suppressed laughter, was heard from behind the partition.
'They're a-twiggin' of you, Sir,' whispered Mr.Weller.
'Twigging of me, Sam!' replied Mr.Pickwick; 'what do you mean by twigging me ?' Mr.Weller replied by pointing with his thumb over his shoulder, and Mr.
Pickwick, on looking up, became sensible of the pleasing fact, that all the four clerks, with countenances expressive of the utmost amusement, and with their heads thrust over the wooden screen, were minutely inspecting the figure and general appearance of the supposed trifler with female hearts, and disturber of female happiness.