ng to stop the business. He certainly might have held out for
four or five hundred pounds. Perker's diplomacy was wretched, and his
plea about the age of the old lady mere burlesque. "You are right, my
dear sir--she is rather old. The founder of the family came into Kent
when Julius Caesar invaded Britain; only one member of it since who
hasn't lived to eighty-five, and _he_ was beheaded by one of the Henrys.
The old lady is not seventy-three now, my dear sir." Which seems like
buffooning in a man of business.

Jingle's course, after he left Rochester, can be traced very readily.
With plenty of money in his pocket, he found his way to Ipswich (or
Eatanswill), assuming the name of Captain FitzMarshall, and taking with
him, as his confederate, Job Hutley. There he got introduced to Nupkins,
the Mayor, who presided at the election, and who had made his money in
"the nail and sarsepan business"--that is, as an ironmonger. The few
words this functionary uttered on the hustings are of the same pompous
character as his later magisterial deliverances.

"'Whiffin, _proclaim_ silence,' said the Mayor, with air of _pomp_, &c.,
where this superciliousness is emphasised. 'Gentlemen,' he went on,
'brother electors of the Borough of Eatanswill, we are met here to-day
for the purpose of choosing a representative in the room of our late'--but
the noise and interruptions prevented the rest of the speech being heard.
Notwithstanding, he characteristically 'thanked the meeting for the
patient attention with which they had heard him throughout,' a
declaration that excited roars of laughter, lasting for a quarter of an
hour."

This is exactly what one might expect from the self-sufficient Nupkins,
who was evidently understood and laughed at by his fellow townsmen.
Later, when the confusion and "row" grew fast and furious, our Mayor
"issued imperative orders to twelve constables to seize the ringleaders,
who might amount in number to two hundred and fifty or thereabouts." We
can recall Nupkins' dealing with the schoolboys in exactly the same
sapient spirit.

Into the family of this worthy Jingle insinuated himself. But would he
not be recognised by Mr. Pickwick and his friends? Yes; but we find that
he took up his quarters at Bury St. Edmunds, conveniently near, and,
assuming that the Pickwickians had departed after the election, thought
he might safely exhibit himself at Mrs. Leo Hunter's party, whence he was
tracked back to B