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Title: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 1 (of 2)

Author: Charles Dickens

Illustrator: Cecil Aldin

Release date: December 4, 2014 [eBook #47534]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Katherine Ward, eagkw and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF THE PICKWICK CLUB, V. 1 (OF 2) ***

The cover of this book was created by the transcriber (using a blank cover and the title page) and is placed in the public domain. A more extensive transcriber’s note can be found at the end of this book.

THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF
THE PICKWICK CLUB

The Pickwick Club

THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS
OF THE
PICKWICK CLUB

BY
CHARLES DICKENS

ILLUSTRATED BY
CECIL ALDIN

VOLUME THE FIRST

Emblem

NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
31 West Twenty-Third Street


CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE
The Pickwickians 1
CHAPTER II
The First Day’s Journey, and the First Evening’s Adventures; with their Consequences 7
CHAPTER III
A New Acquaintance. The Stroller’s Tale. A Disagreeable Interruption, and an Unpleasant Encounter 39
CHAPTER IV
A Field-Day and Bivouac. More New Friends. An Invitation to the Country 52
CHAPTER V
A Short One. Showing, among other Matters, how Mr. Pickwick undertook to Drive, and Mr. Winkle to Ride; and how they both did it 66
CHAPTER VI
An Old-fashioned Card-party. The Clergyman’s Verses. The Story of the Convict’s Return 78
CHAPTER VII
How Mr. Winkle, instead of Shooting at the Pigeon and Killing the Crow, Shot at the Crow and Wounded the Pigeon; how the Dingley Dell Cricket Club played All-Muggleton, and how All-Muggleton Dined at the Dingley Dell Expense: with other Interesting and Instructive Matters 95
CHAPTER VIII
Strongly Illustrative of the Position, that the Course of True Love is not a Railway 111
CHAPTER IX
A Discovery and a Chase 126
CHAPTER X
Clearing up all Doubts (if any Existed) of the Disinterestedness of Mr. Jingle’s Character 136
CHAPTER XI
Involving another Journey, and an Antiquarian Discovery. Recording Mr. Pickwick’s Determination to be Present at an Election; and containing a Manuscript of the Old Clergyman’s 152
CHAPTER XII
Descriptive of a very important Proceeding on the part of Mr. Pickwick; no less an Epoch in his Life, than in this History 173
CHAPTER XIII
Some Account of Eatanswill; of the State of Parties therein; and of the Election of a Member to Serve in Parliament for that Ancient, Loyal, and Patriotic Borough 181
CHAPTER XIV
Comprising a Brief Description of the Company at the Peacock assembled; and a Tale told by a Bagman 202
CHAPTER XV
In which is given a Faithful Portraiture of two Distinguished Persons; and an Accurate Description of a Public Breakfast in their House and Grounds: which Public Breakfast leads to the Recognition of an Old Acquaintance, and the Commencement of another Chapter 222
CHAPTER XVI
Too full of Adventure to be Briefly Described 238
CHAPTER XVII
Showing that an Attack of Rheumatism in some cases, acts as a Quickener to Inventive Genius 261
CHAPTER XVIII
Briefly illustrative of Two Points;—First, the Power of Hysterics, and, Secondly, the Force of Circumstances 271
CHAPTER XIX
A Pleasant Day, with an Unpleasant Termination 283
CHAPTER XX
Showing how Dodson and Fogg were Men of Business, and their Clerks Men of Pleasure; and how an affecting Interview took place between Mr. Weller and his Long-lost Parent; showing also what Choice Spirits assembled at the Magpie and Stump, and what a Capital Chapter the Next One will be 300
CHAPTER XXI
In which the Old Man launches forth into his Favourite Theme, and relates a Story about a Queer Client 319
CHAPTER XXII
Mr. Pickwick Journeys to Ipswich, and meets with a Romantic Adventure with a Middle-aged Lady in Yellow Curl-papers 338
CHAPTER XXIII
In which Mr. Samuel Weller begins to devote his Energies to the Return Match between himself and Mr. Trotter 357
CHAPTER XXIV
Wherein Mr. Peter Magnus grows jealous, and the Middle-aged Lady apprehensive, which brings the Pickwickians within the Grasp of the Law 367
CHAPTER XXV
Showing, among a variety of Pleasant Matters, how Majestic and Impartial Mr. Nupkins was, and how Mr. Weller returned Mr. Job Trotter’s Shuttlecock as heavily as it came. With another Matter, which will be found in its Place 385
CHAPTER XXVI
Which contains a Brief Account of the Progress of the Action of Bardell against Pickwick 407
CHAPTER XXVII
Samuel Weller makes a Pilgrimage to Dorking, and beholds his Mother-in-law 415
CHAPTER XXVIII
A Good-humoured Christmas Chapter, containing an Account of a Wedding, and some other Sports beside: which although in their Way even as Good Customs as Marriage itself, are not quite so religiously kept up, in these Degenerate Times 426

ILLUSTRATIONS

IN COLOUR
The Pickwick Club Frontispiece
“Wo—o!” cried Mr. Pickwick. “Wo—o!” echoed Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass from the bin Facing page 70
Mr. Pickwick ran to his assistance 72
“Bless my soul!” said Mr. Winkle, “I declare I forgot the cap” 98
“Love to Tuppy—won’t you get up behind?—drive on, boys,” replied Jingle 134
Sam at the White Hart 142
At the table sat Mr. Tupman, looking as unlike a man who had taken his leave of this world as possible 156
“She looked up in Tom’s face and smiled through her tears” 220
“I won’t suffer this barrow to be moved another step unless Winkle carries that gun of his in a different manner” 286
“Take example of your father, my boy, and be very careful o’ widders all your life” 310
“I trust, ma’am,” resumed Mr. Pickwick, “that my unblemished character and the devoted respect I entertain for your sex——” 354
“Mother-in-law,” said Sam, “how are you?” 418
A distant response is heard from the yard, and Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Tupman come running down it 430

IN TEXT
  PAGE
Heading to Chapter I 1
Heading to Chapter II 7
“Weeks!” said Mr. Pickwick in astonishment—and out came the note-book again 9
“What’s the fun?” said a rather tall thin young man 11
“My name is Winkle, sir” 28
Heading to Chapter III 39
Heading to Chapter IV 52
“Damn that boy, he’s gone to sleep again” 59
Heading to Chapter V 66
“T’other side, sir, if you please” 71
Heading to Chapter VI 78
Heading to Chapter VII 95
Heading to Chapter VIII 111
“He must have been fast asleep,” whispered Mr. Tupman 115
Heading to Chapter IX 126
“Here I am; but I han’t a willin” 127
Heading to Chapter X 136
Sam Weller at the keyhole 146
Heading to Chapter XI 152
“There is an inscription here,” said Mr. Pickwick 158
Heading to Chapter XII 173
“Oh, you kind, good, playful dear” 176
Heading to Chapter XIII 181
“He has patted the babies on the head” 196
Heading to Chapter XIV 202
“No other than Tom Smart” 207
Heading to Chapter XV 222
Mr. Pickwick, with the Brigand on one arm, and the Troubadour on the other 230
Heading to Chapter XVI 238
“Looks as convivial as a live trout in a lime-basket” 244
“Who’s there?” screamed a numerous chorus of treble voices 254
Heading to Chapter XVII 261
“Open it flew, disclosing Nathaniel Pipkin” 268
Heading to Chapter XVIII 271
Heading to Chapter XIX 283
“Who are you, you rascal?” 296
Heading to Chapter XX 300
Heading to Chapter XXI 319
Heading to Chapter XXII 338
“Sam,” said Mr. Pickwick, “Where’s my bedroom?” 355
Heading to Chapter XXIII 357
Heading to Chapter XXIV 367
Heading to Chapter XXV 385
“You don’t mean to say you did that on purpose?” 405
Heading to Chapter XXVI 407
Mrs. Bardell and her two friends were getting on very well 410
Heading to Chapter XXVII 415
Heading to Chapter XXVIII 426
“Aha!” said the fat boy 432