CHAPTER LVII. IN WHICH THE PICKWICK CLUB IS FINALLY DISSOLVED, ANDEVERYTHING CONCLUDED TO THE SATISFACTION OF EVERYBODY
For a whole week after the happy arrival of Mr. Winkle from Birmingham,Mr. Pickwick and Sam Weller were from home all day long, only returningjust in time for dinner, and then wearing an air of mystery andimportance quite foreign to their natures. It was evident that verygrave and eventful proceedings were on foot; but various surmises wereafloat, respecting their precise character. Some (among whom was Mr.Tupman) were disposed to think that Mr. Pickwick contemplated amatrimonial alliance; but this idea the ladies most strenuouslyrepudiated. Others rather inclined to the belief that he had projectedsome distant tour, and was at present occupied in effecting thepreliminary arrangements; but this again was stoutly denied by Samhimself, who had unequivocally stated, when cross-examined by Mary, thatno new journeys were to be undertaken. At length, when the brains of thewhole party had been racked for six long days, by unavailingspeculation, it was unanimously resolved that Mr. Pickwick should becalled upon to explain his conduct, and to state distinctly why he hadthus absented himself from the society of his admiring friends.
With this view, Mr. Wardle invited the full circle to dinner at theAdelphi; and the decanters having been thrice sent round, opened thebusiness.
'We are all anxious to know,' said the old gentleman, 'what we have doneto offend you, and to induce you to desert us and devote yourself tothese solitary walks.'
'Are you?' said Mr. Pickwick. 'It is singular enough that I had intendedto volunteer a full explanation this very day; so, if you will give meanother glass of wine, I will satisfy your curiosity.'
The decanters passed from hand to hand with unwonted briskness, and Mr.Pickwick, looking round on the faces of his friends with a cheerfulsmile, proceeded--
'All the changes that have taken place among us,' said Mr. Pickwick, 'Imean the marriage that _has _taken place, and the marriage that WILLtake place, with the changes they involve, rendered it necessary for meto think, soberly and at once, upon my future plans. I determined onretiring to some quiet, pretty neighbourhood in the vicinity of London;I saw a house which exactly suited my fancy; I have taken it andfurnished it. It is fully prepared for my reception, and I intendentering upon it at once, trusting that I may yet live to spend manyquiet years in peaceful retirement, cheered through life by the societyof my friends, and followed in death by their affectionate remembrance.'
Here Mr. Pickwick paused, and a low murmur ran round the table.
'The house I have taken,' said Mr. Pickwick, 'is at Dulwich. It has alarge garden, and is situated in one of the most pleasant spots nearLondon. It has been fitted up with every attention to substantialcomfort; perhaps to a little elegance besides; but of that you shalljudge for yourselves. Sam accompanies me there. I have engaged, onPerker's representation, a housekeeper--a very old one--and such otherservants as she thinks I shall require. I propose to consecrate thislittle retreat, by having a ceremony in which I take a great interest,performed there. I wish, if my friend Wardle entertains no objection,that his daughter should be married from my new house, on the day I takepossession of it. The happiness of young people,' said Mr. Pickwick, alittle moved, 'has ever been the chief pleasure of my life. It will warmmy heart to witness the happiness of those friends who are dearest tome, beneath my own roof.'
Mr. Pickwick paused again: Emily and Arabella sobbed audibly.
'I have communicated, both personally and by letter, with the club,'resumed Mr. Pickwick, 'acquainting them with my intention. During ourlong absence, it has suffered much from internal dissentions; and thewithdrawal of my name, coupled with this and other circumstances, hasoccasioned its dissolution. The Pickwick Club exists no longer.
'I shall never regret,' said Mr. Pickwick in a low voice, 'I shall neverregret having devoted the greater part of two years to mixing withdifferent varieties and shades of human character, frivolous as mypursuit of novelty may have appeared to many. Nearly the whole of myprevious life having been devoted to business and the pursuit of wealth,numerous scenes of which I had no previous conception have dawned uponme--I hope to the enlargement of my mind, and the improvement of myunderstanding. If I have done but little good, I trust I have done lessharm, and that none of my adventures will be other than a source ofamusing and pleasant recollection to me in the decline of life. Godbless you all!'
With these words, Mr. Pickwick filled and drained a bumper with atrembling hand; and his eyes moistened as his friends rose with oneaccord, and pledged him from their hearts.
There were few preparatory arrangements to be made for the marriage ofMr. Snodgrass. As he had neither father nor mother, and had been in hisminority a ward of Mr. Pickwick's, that gentleman was perfectly wellacquainted with his possessions and prospects. His account of both wasquite satisfactory to Wardle--as almost any other account would havebeen, for the good old gentleman was overflowing with hilarity andkindness--and a handsome portion having been bestowed upon Emily, themarriage was fixed to take place on the fourth day from that time--thesuddenness of which preparations reduced three dressmakers and a tailorto the extreme verge of insanity.
Getting post-horses to the carriage, old Wardle started off, next day,to bring his mother back to town. Communicating his intelligence to theold lady with characteristic impetuosity, she instantly fainted away;but being promptly revived, ordered the brocaded silk gown to be packedup forthwith, and proceeded to relate some circumstances of a similarnature attending the marriage of the eldest daughter of LadyTollimglower, deceased, which occupied three hours in the recital, andwere not half finished at last.
Mrs. Trundle had to be informed of all the mighty preparations that weremaking in London; and, being in a delicate state of health, was informedthereof through Mr. Trundle, lest the news should be too much for her;but it was not too much for her, inasmuch as she at once wrote off toMuggleton, to order a new cap and a black satin gown, and moreoveravowed her determination of being present at the ceremony. Hereupon, Mr.Trundle called in the doctor, and the doctor said Mrs. Trundle ought toknow best how she felt herself, to which Mrs. Trundle replied that shefelt herself quite equal to it, and that she had made up her mind to go;upon which the doctor, who was a wise and discreet doctor, and knew whatwas good for himself, as well as for other people, said that perhaps ifMrs. Trundle stopped at home, she might hurt herself more by fretting,than by going, so perhaps she had better go. And she did go; the doctorwith great attention sending in half a dozen of medicine, to be drunkupon the road.
In addition to these points of distraction, Wardle was intrusted withtwo small letters to two small young ladies who were to act asbridesmaids; upon the receipt of which, the two young ladies were drivento despair by having no 'things' ready for so important an occasion, andno time to make them in--a circumstance which appeared to afford the twoworthy papas of the two small young ladies rather a feeling ofsatisfaction than otherwise. However, old frocks were trimmed, and newbonnets made, and the young ladies looked as well as could possibly havebeen expected of them. And as they cried at the subsequent ceremony inthe proper places, and trembled at the right times, they acquittedthemselves to the admiration of all beholders.
How the two poor relations ever reached London--whether they walked, orgot behind coaches, or procured lifts in wagons, or carried each otherby turns--is uncertain; but there they were, before Wardle; and the veryfirst people that knocked at the door of Mr. Pickwick's house, on thebridal morning, were the two poor relations, all smiles and shirtcollar.
They were welcomed heartily though, for riches or poverty had noinfluence on Mr. Pickwick; the new servants were all alacrity andreadiness; Sam was in a most unrivalled state of high spirits andexcitement; Mary was glowing with beauty and smart ribands.
The bridegroom, who had been staying at the house for two or three daysprevious, sallied forth gallantly to Dulwich Church to meet the bride,attended by Mr. Pickwick, Ben Allen, Bob Sawyer, and Mr. Tupman; withSam Weller outside
, having at his button-hole a white favour, the giftof his lady-love, and clad in a new and gorgeous suit of livery inventedfor the occasion. They were met by the Wardles, and the Winkles, and thebride and bridesmaids, and the Trundles; and the ceremony having beenperformed, the coaches rattled back to Mr. Pickwick's to breakfast,where little Mr. Perker already awaited them.
Here, all the light clouds of the more solemn part of the proceedingspassed away; every face shone forth joyously; and nothing was to beheard but congratulations and commendations. Everything was sobeautiful! The lawn in front, the garden behind, the miniatureconservatory, the dining-room, the drawing-room, the bedrooms, thesmoking-room, and, above all, the study, with its pictures and easy-chairs, and odd cabinets, and queer tables, and books out of number,with a large cheerful window opening upon a pleasant lawn and commandinga pretty landscape, dotted here and there with little houses almosthidden by the trees; and then the curtains, and the carpets, and thechairs, and the sofas! Everything was so beautiful, so compact, so neat,and in such exquisite taste, said everybody, that there really was nodeciding what to admire most.
And in the midst of all this, stood Mr. Pickwick, his countenancelighted up with smiles, which the heart of no man, woman, or child,could resist: himself the happiest of the group: shaking hands, over andover again, with the same people, and when his own hands were not soemployed, rubbing them with pleasure: turning round in a differentdirection at every fresh expression of gratification or curiosity, andinspiring everybody with his looks of gladness and delight.
Breakfast is announced. Mr. Pickwick leads the old lady (who has beenvery eloquent on the subject of Lady Tollimglower) to the top of a longtable; Wardle takes the bottom; the friends arrange themselves on eitherside; Sam takes his station behind his master's chair; the laughter andtalking cease; Mr. Pickwick, having said grace, pauses for an instantand looks round him. As he does so, the tears roll down his cheeks, inthe fullness of his joy.
Let us leave our old friend in one of those moments of unmixedhappiness, of which, if we seek them, there are ever some, to cheer ourtransitory existence here. There are dark shadows on the earth, but itslights are stronger in the contrast. Some men, like bats or owls, havebetter eyes for the darkness than for the light. We, who have no suchoptical powers, are better pleased to take our last parting look at thevisionary companions of many solitary hours, when the brief sunshine ofthe world is blazing full upon them.
It is the fate of most men who mingle with the world, and attain eventhe prime of life, to make many real friends, and lose them in thecourse of nature. It is the fate of all authors or chroniclers to createimaginary friends, and lose them in the course of art. Nor is this thefull extent of their misfortunes; for they are required to furnish anaccount of them besides.
In compliance with this custom--unquestionably a bad one--we subjoin afew biographical words, in relation to the party at Mr. Pickwick'sassembled.
Mr. and Mrs. Winkle, being fully received into favour by the oldgentleman, were shortly afterwards installed in a newly-built house, nothalf a mile from Mr. Pickwick's. Mr. Winkle, being engaged in the cityas agent or town correspondent of his father, exchanged his old costumefor the ordinary dress of Englishmen, and presented all the externalappearance of a civilised Christian ever afterwards.
Mr. and Mrs. Snodgrass settled at Dingley Dell, where they purchased andcultivated a small farm, more for occupation than profit. Mr. Snodgrass,being occasionally abstracted and melancholy, is to this day reputed agreat poet among his friends and acquaintance, although we do not findthat he has ever written anything to encourage the belief. There aremany celebrated characters, literary, philosophical, and otherwise, whohold a high reputation on a similar tenure.
Mr. Tupman, when his friends married, and Mr. Pickwick settled, tooklodgings at Richmond, where he has ever since resided. He walksconstantly on the terrace during the summer months, with a youthful andjaunty air, which has rendered him the admiration of the numerouselderly ladies of single condition, who reside in the vicinity. He hasnever proposed again.
Mr. Bob Sawyer, having previously passed through the _Gazette_, passedover to Bengal, accompanied by Mr. Benjamin Allen; both gentlemen havingreceived surgical appointments from the East India Company. They eachhad the yellow fever fourteen times, and then resolved to try a littleabstinence; since which period, they have been doing well. Mrs. Bardelllet lodgings to many conversable single gentlemen, with great profit,but never brought any more actions for breach of promise of marriage.Her attorneys, Messrs. Dodson & Fogg, continue in business, from whichthey realise a large income, and in which they are universallyconsidered among the sharpest of the sharp.
Sam Weller kept his word, and remained unmarried, for two years. The oldhousekeeper dying at the end of that time, Mr. Pickwick promoted Mary tothe situation, on condition of her marrying Mr. Weller at once, whichshe did without a murmur. From the circumstance of two sturdy littleboys having been repeatedly seen at the gate of the back garden, thereis reason to suppose that Sam has some family.
The elder Mr. Weller drove a coach for twelve months, but beingafflicted with the gout, was compelled to retire. The contents of thepocket-book had been so well invested for him, however, by Mr. Pickwick,that he had a handsome independence to retire on, upon which he stilllives at an excellent public-house near Shooter's Hill, where he isquite reverenced as an oracle, boasting very much of his intimacy withMr. Pickwick, and retaining a most unconquerable aversion to widows.
Mr. Pickwick himself continued to reside in his new house, employing hisleisure hours in arranging the memoranda which he afterwards presentedto the secretary of the once famous club, or in hearing Sam Weller readaloud, with such remarks as suggested themselves to his mind, whichnever failed to afford Mr. Pickwick great amusement. He was muchtroubled at first, by the numerous applications made to him by Mr.Snodgrass, Mr. Winkle, and Mr. Trundle, to act as godfather to theiroffspring; but he has become used to it now, and officiates as a matterof course. He never had occasion to regret his bounty to Mr. Jingle; forboth that person and Job Trotter became, in time, worthy members ofsociety, although they have always steadily objected to return to thescenes of their old haunts and temptations. Mr. Pickwick is somewhatinfirm now; but he retains all his former juvenility of spirit, and maystill be frequently seen, contemplating the pictures in the DulwichGallery, or enjoying a walk about the pleasant neighbourhood on a fineday. He is known by all the poor people about, who never fail to taketheir hats off, as he passes, with great respect. The children idolisehim, and so indeed does the whole neighbourhood. Every year he repairsto a large family merry-making at Mr. Wardle's; on this, as on all otheroccasions, he is invariably attended by the faithful Sam, between whomand his master there exists a steady and reciprocal attachment whichnothing but death will terminate.
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