Mrs．Bar dell could only reply by a look．She had long worshipped Mr．Pick wick at a distance，but here she was，all at once，raised to a pinnaclepinnacle to which her wildest and most extravagantextravagant hopes had never dared to aspire．Mr．Pick wick was going to propose，—a deliberate deliberate plan，too，—sent her little boy to the Borough to get him out of the way，how thoughtful，—how considerate considerate！
“Well，”said Mr．Pick wick，“what do you think？”
“O，Mr．Pick wick，”said Mrs．Bar dell，trembling with agitation agitation，“you’re very kind，sir．”
“It will save you a great deal of trouble，won’t it？”said Mr．Pick wick．
“O，I never thought anything of the trouble，sir，”replied Mrs．Bar dell；“and of course，I should take more trouble to please you then than ever；but it o is so kind of you，Mr．Pick wick，to have so much consideration for my loneliness．”
“Ah，to be sure，”said Mr．Pick wick，“I never thought of that．When I am in town，you’ll always have somebody to sit with you．To be sure，so you will．”
“I’m sure I ought to be a very happy woman.”said Mrs．Bar dell．
“And your little boy—”said Mr．Pick wick．
“Bless his heart.”interposed Mrs．Bar dell，with a maternalmaternal sob．
“He，too，will have a companion，”resumed Mr．Pick wick，—“a lively one，who’ll teach him，I’ll be bound，more tricks in a week than he would ever learn in a year．”And Mr．Pick wick smiled placidly．
“O you dear—”said Mrs．Bar dell．
Mr．Pick wick started．
“O you kind，good，playful dear，”said Mrs．Bar dell；and without more ado she rose from her chair，and flung her arms round Mr．Pick wick’s neck，with a cataract of tears，and achorus of sobs．
“Bless my soul！”cried the astonished Mr．Pick wick；—“Mrs．Bar dell，my good woman，—dear me，what a situation，—pray consider．Mrs．Bar dell，don’t—if anybody should come—”
“O，let them come.”exclaimed Mrs．Bar dell，frantically．“I’ll never leave you，—dear，kind，good soul”；and，with these words，Mrs．Bar dell clung the tighter．
“Mercy upon me.”said Mr．Pick wick，struggling violently．“I hear somebody coming up the stairs．Don’t，don’t，there’s a good creature，don’t．”But entreatyentreaty and remonstranceremonstrance were alike unavailingunavailing，for Mrs．Bar dell had fainted in Mr．Pick wick’s arms；and before he could gain time to deposit heron a chair，Master Bar dell entered the room，ushering in Mr．Tup man，Mr．Winkle，and Mr．Snodgrass．
Mr．Pick wick was struck motionless and speechless．He stood with his lovely burden in his arms，gazing vacantlyvacantly on the countenancescountenance of his friends，without the slightest at tempt at recognition or explanation．They，in their turn，stared at him；and Master Bar dell，in his turn，stared at everybody．
The astonishment of the Pick wickians was so absorbingabsorbing，and the perplexity perplexity of Mr．Pick wick was so extreme，that they might have remained in exactly the same relative situations until the suspended animation animation of the lady was restored，had it not been for a most beautiful and touching expression of filial affection on the part of her youthful son．Clad in a tight suit of corduroy，spangled with brass buttons of a very considerable size，he at first stood at the door astounded and uncertain；but by degrees，the impression that his mother must have suffered some personal damage，pervaded his partially developed mind，and，considering Mr．Pick wick the aggressoraggressor，he set up an appalling and semi earthly kind of howling，and，butting forward with his head，commenced assailing that immortal gentleman about the back and legs with such blows and pinches as the strength of his arm and the violence of his excitement allowed．
“Take this little villain away，”said the agonized Mr．Pick wick，“he’s mad．”
“What is the matter？”said the three tonguetied Pick wickians．
“I don’t know.”replied Mr．Pick wick，pettishly．“Take away the boy”（here Mr．Winkle carried the interesting boy，screaming and struggling，to the farther end of the apartment）．“Now help me to lead this woman down stairs．”
“O，I’m better now.”said Mrs．Bar dell，faintly．
“Let me lead you down stairs.”said the ever gallant Mr．Tupman．
“Thank you，sir．thank you.”exclaimed Mrs．Bar dell，hystericallyhysterically．And down stairs she was led accordingly，accompanied by her affectionateaffectionate son．
“I cannot conceive，”said Mr．Pick wick，when his friend returned，—“I cannot conceive what has been the matter with that woman．I had merely announced to her my intention of keeping a manservantmanservant when she fell into the extraordinary paroxysmparoxysm in which you found her．Very extraordinary thing！”
“Very.”said his three friends．
“Placed me in such an extremely awkward situation.”continued Mr．Pick wick．
“Very.”was the reply of his followers，as they coughed slightly，and looked dubiouslydubiously at each other．
This behavior was not lost upon Mr．Pick wick．He remarked their incredulityincredulity．They evidently suspected him．
“There is a man in the passage now.”said Mr．Tup man．
“It’s the man that I spoke to you about.”said Mr．Pick wick．“I sent for him to the Borough this morning．Have the goodness to call him up，Snod grass．”
匹克威克先生的窘境
