Installment 7 of 20, in The Pickwick Papers 180th anniversary readalong, hosted by On Bookes, and commencing in September, just as Dickens’ seventh installment was published.
Chapter 18: Begins with an embarrassing situation for Mr. Winkle, who is currently residing at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Pott. One evening the relationship between all is quite amicable, and the next morning Mr. Pott calls Winkle a Serpent. Winkle is stupefied as to the reason, until Mr. Pott shows him a poem published in the local paper, that quite clearly implies that Winkle is giving inappropriate attention to Mrs. Pott. The argument seems on the point of violence, when Mrs. Pott is made aware of the implication and consequently is thrown into a state of hysterics. Unable to pacify his wife, Mr. Pott eventually avows that he suspects no truth in the story, and feigns trust and friendship for Winkle merely to calm his wife. Winkle is shortly thereafter summoned by Pickwick and must quit the home of the Pott’s which seems like the best thing for everyone. This incident seems merely to set up a humorous and ironic moment for Mr. Pickwick.
Upon hearing of Winkles misadventure, and recalling other such embarrassments encountered by the Pickwickians, Mr. Pickwick begins a pompous and pious oration to scold his companions.
Mr. Pickwick struck the table emphatically with his clenched fist, and spoke as follows
‘Is it not a wonderful circumstance.’ Said Mr. Pickwick, ‘that we seem destined to enter no man’s house without involving him in some degree of trouble? Does it not, I ask, bespeak the indiscretion, or, worse than that, the blackness of heart – that I should say so! – of my followers, that, beneath whatever roof they locate, they disturb the peace of mind and happiness of some confiding female? Is it not, I say - - ‘
Only to be cut short when his manservant Sam, delivers a post wherein Mr. Pickwick himself is summoned to London to answer an accusation of breach of promise toward Widow Bardell of chapter 12, who if you will remember thought Pickwick was proposing marriage, when all Pickwick thought he was doing, was asking to take in another boarder, namely his newly acquired manservant Sam Weller.
Pickwick is mortified, but must necessarily cease upbraiding his colleagues for their peccadillos, when facing a more serious case of his own. Circumstances will not allow Pickwick and company to proceed immediately to London, so a hunting expedition is set for the next day.
Chapter 19: Pickwick is suffering from a bout of rheumatism, but desiring to accompany the hunt regardless, he is transported via wheelbarrow. The hunt is a bit comical, as all are rather dubious of Tupman’s and Winkle’s skill with the weapons. Tupman manages to bag a partridge almost by accident, though Winkle’s only shots are dangerously close to his companions. The group settles on a lovely hill for lunch, where Pickwick imbibes in numerous glasses of punch, and falls sound asleep. The hunt resumes, but leaves Pickwick to his repose. The hunters intend to collect him when the hunt is finished, but before that happens, the owner of the parcel of land where he is left sleeping finds him, and has him committed to the local pound. Pickwick awakes to his dismay and confusion. After taunts by the locals, and demands by Pickwick, he – Pickwick eventually sees the humor in the situation and the event comes to relatively happy end.
Chapter 20: Mr. Pickwick and his man servant Sam go to London to appear in the law offices of Dodson and Fogg, counsel for the injured Widow Bardell. As one would expect by now, Mr. Pickwick’s sense of dignity does not long tolerate accusation, and he storms out of the attorney’s offices, inflicting several insults on their reputation, and is restrained from visiting violence upon them by the wise hands of Sam. The attorney’s Dodson and Fogg are careful to have Pickwick’s words and actions witnessed by their clerks, and the reader is a bit worried Mr. Pickwick may have added to his legal woes.
For the moment however, they are forgotten as Pickwick and Sam visit a local pub for a glass of brandy. Here they chance upon Sam’s father, whom he has not seen for several years. Mr. Weller senior is a man of many colorful words, and among them he discloses the whereabouts of Mr. Jingle, the scoundrel that has twice evaded Pickwick. Mr. Weller senior discloses that Jingle and his servant were to be found at Ipswich, where they were having a good laugh at the expense of “Old Fireworks”, by whom they meant Mr. Pickwick. Anxious to have his justice, Pickwick and Sam plan a trip to Ipswich to apprehend Jingle.
Before proceeding though, Pickwick attempts to meet a solicitor, Mr. Perker, to discuss his legal case. Mr. Perker is out, so he instead meets with a clerk, Peter Lowten.
At the end of the chapter, Pickwick encounters an odd old fellow, who bursts into a torrent of words, presumably directed at Pickwick or at least in his direction. The chapter concludes however, and the author promises to satisfy the curiosity of the reader in the next chapter – which at the time, and indeed now – must await another month.
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