ecially when Tupman said he could borrow for him a blue dress
suit, the property of the sleeping Winkle.

They were soon dressed and at the ball. Jingle's jaunty air gained him
a number of introductions. Before long he was dancing with a little old
widow named Mrs. Budger, who was very rich, and to whom he at once began
to make love. There was an army surgeon present named Slammer--a short
fat man with a ring of upright black hair around his head, and a bald
plain on top of it--who had been courting the rich widow himself. Doctor
Slammer was old; Jingle was young, and the lady felt flattered. Every
moment the doctor grew angrier and at last tried to pick a quarrel with
the wearer of the blue dress suit, at which Jingle only laughed. The
ball over, Tupman and Jingle went down stairs. Winkle's clothes were
returned to their place, and Jingle, promising to join the party at
dinner next day, took his departure.

The Pickwickians were hardly awake next morning when an army officer
came to the inn inquiring which gentleman of their number owned a blue
dress suit with gilt buttons. When told that Mr. Winkle had such a
costume he demanded to see him, and at once, in the name of his friend
Doctor Slammer, challenged him to fight a duel that night at sunset.

Poor Winkle almost fainted with surprise. When the stranger explained
that the wearer of the blue suit had insulted Doctor Slammer, Winkle
concluded that he must have drunk too much wine at dinner, changed his
clothes, gone somewhere, and insulted somebody--of all of which he had
no recollection. He saw no way, therefore, but to accept the
bloodthirsty challenge, hoping that something would happen to prevent
the duel.

Winkle was dreadfully afraid, for he had never fired a pistol in his
life. He chose Snodgrass for his second, hoping the latter would tell
Mr. Pickwick; but Snodgrass, he soon found to his dismay, had no idea of
doing so. The day wore heavily away, and Winkle could think of no
escape. At sunset they walked to the appointed spot--a lonely field--and
at last Winkle found himself, pistol in hand, opposite another man armed
likewise, and waiting the signal to shoot.

At that moment Doctor Slammer saw that the man he faced was not the one
who had insulted him at the ball. Explanations were soon made and the
whole party walked back together to the inn, where Winkle introduced his
new friends to the Pickwickians. Jingle, however, was with the latter,
and Doctor