eal door, but bein' only
eyes, you see, my wision's limited."

"Do you remember going up to Mrs. Bardell's house one night last
November? I suppose you went to have a little talk about this trial, eh,
Mr. Weller?" said Sergeant Buzfuz, looking knowingly at the jury.

"I went up to pay the rent," said Sam; "but the ladies gets into a wery
great state of admiration at the honourable conduct o' Mr. Dodson and
Fogg, and said what a wery gen'rous thing it was o' them to have taken
up the case on spec., and to have charged nothin' at all for costs,
unless they got 'em out of Mr. Pickwick."

At this very unexpected reply the spectators tittered, and Mr. Sergeant
Buzfuz said curtly, "Stand down, sir."

Sergeant Snubbin then addressed the jury on behalf of the defendant, and
after that Mr. Justice Stareleigh summed up.

At the end of a quarter of an hour the jury brought in a verdict for the
plaintiff with L750 damages.

In the court-room Mr. Pickwick encountered Messrs. Dodson and Fogg,
rubbing their hands with satisfaction.

"Not one farthing of costs or damages do you ever get out of me, if I
spend the rest of my existence in a debtor's prison," said Mr. Pickwick.

"We shall see about that," said Mr. Fogg grinning.

Outside Mr. Pickwick and his friends made their way to a hackney coach,
and Sam Weller was just preparing to jump upon the box when his father
stood before him. The old gentleman shook his head gravely and said in
warning accents, "I know'd what 'ud come o' this here mode o' doin'
bisness. Oh, Sammy, Sammy, vy worn't there a alleybi?"

"But surely, my dear sir," said Perker to his client the following
morning, "you don't really mean, seriously now, that you won't pay these
costs and damages?"

"Not one halfpenny," said Mr. Pickwick.

"Hooroar for the principle, as the money-lender said ven he vouldn't
renew the bill," observed Mr. Samuel Weller.

_III.--In the Fleet Prison_

Two months later Mr. Pickwick was arrested for the non-payment of costs
and damages and taken to the Fleet Prison. And so, for the first time in
his life, Mr. Pickwick found himself within the walls of a debtor's
prison.

"Where am I to sleep to-night?" inquired Mr. Pickwick of the turnkey,
and after some discussion it was discovered there was a bed to let.

"It ain't a large 'un, but it's an out-and-outer to sleep in. This way,
sir," said the turnkey.

Mr. Pickwick, accompanied by Sam Weller, followed his guide up a