'Will you leave a message for him ?' 'When do you think he'll be back ?' inquired the stranger.
'Quite uncertain,' replied Lowten, winking at Mr.Pickwick, as the stranger cast his eyes towards the ground.
'You don't think it would be of any use my waiting for him ?' said the stranger, looking wistfully into the office.
'Oh, no, I'm sure it wouldn't,' replied the clerk, moving a little more into the centre of the doorway.

'He's certain not to be back this week, and it's a chance whether he will be next; for when Perker once gets out of town, he's never in a hurry to come back again.' 'Out of town!' said Mr.Pickwick; 'dear me, how unfortunate!' 'Don't go away, Mr.Pickwick,' said Lowten, 'I've got a letter for you.' The stranger, seeming to hesitate, once more looked towards the ground, and the clerk winked slyly at Mr.PickwiCK, as if to intimate that some exquisite piece of humour was going forward, though what it was Mr.
Pickwick could not for the life of him divine.

'Step in, Mr.Pickwick,' said Lowten.

'Well, will you leave a message, Mr.Watty, or will you call again ?' 'Ask him to be so kind as to leave out word what has been done in my business,' said the man; 'for God's sake don't neglect it, Mr.Lowten.' 'No, no; I won't forget it,' replied the clerk.

'Walk in, Mr.Pickwick.
Good-morning, Mr.Watty; it's a fine day for walking, isn't it ?' Seeing that the stranger still lingered, he beckoned Sam Weller to follow his master in, and shut the door in his face.
'There never was such a pestering bankrupt as that since the world began, I do believe!' said Lowten, throwing down his pen with the air of an injured man.