Sam saw the advantage he should gain, and at once acquiesced; whereupon Mrs. Bardell produced, from a small closet, a black bottle and a wine- glass; and so great was her abstraction, in her deep mental affliction, that, after filling Mr. Weller’s glass, she brought out three more wine- glasses, and filled them too. ‘Lauk, Mrs. Bardell,’ said Mrs. Cluppins, ‘see what you’ve been and done!’ ‘Well, that is a good one!’ ejaculated Mrs. Sanders. ‘Ah, my poor head!’ said Mrs. Bardell, with a faint smile. Sam understood all this, of course, so he said at once, that he never could drink before supper, unless a lady drank with him. A great deal of laughter ensued, and Mrs. Sanders volunteered to humour him, so she took a slight sip out of her glass. Then Sam said it must go all round, so they all took a slight sip. Then little Mrs. Cluppins proposed as a toast, ‘Success to Bardell agin Pickwick’; and then the ladies emptied their glasses in honour of the sentiment, and got very talkative directly. ‘I suppose you’ve heard what’s going forward, Mr. Weller?’ said Mrs. Bardell. ‘I’ve heerd somethin’ on it,’ replied Sam. ‘It’s a terrible thing to be dragged before the public, in that way, Mr. Weller,’ said Mrs. Bardell; ‘but I see now, that it’s the only thing I ought to do, and my lawyers, Mr. Dodson and Fogg, tell me that, with the evidence as we shall call, we must succeed. I don’t know what I should do, Mr. Weller, if I didn’t.’ The mere idea of Mrs. Bardell’s failing in her action, affected Mrs. Sanders so deeply, that she was under the necessity of refilling and re- emptying her glass immediately; feeling, as she said afterwards, that if she hadn’t had the presence of mind to do so, she must have dropped. ‘Ven is it expected to come on?’ inquired Sam. ‘Either in February or March,’ replied Mrs. Bardell. ‘What a number of witnesses there’ll be, won’t there?’ said Mrs. Cluppins. ‘Ah! won’t there!’ replied Mrs. Sanders. ‘And won’t Mr. Dodson and Fogg be wild if the plaintiff shouldn’t get it?’ added Mrs. Cluppins, ‘when they do it all on speculation!’ ‘Ah! won’t they!’ said Mrs. Sanders. ‘But the plaintiff must get it,’ resumed Mrs. Cluppins. ‘I hope so,’ said Mrs. Bardell. ‘Oh, there can’t be any doubt about it,’ rejoined Mrs. Sanders. ‘Vell,’ said Sam, rising and setting down his glass, ‘all I can say is, that I vish you _may _get it.’ ‘Thank’ee, Mr. Weller,’ said Mrs. Bardell fervently. ‘And of them Dodson and Foggs, as does these sort o’ things on spec,’ continued Mr. Weller, ‘as vell as for the other kind and gen’rous people o’ the same purfession, as sets people by the ears, free gratis for nothin’, and sets their clerks to work to find out little disputes among their neighbours and acquaintances as vants settlin’ by means of lawsuits--all I can say o’ them is, that I vish they had the reward I’d give ‘em.’