Dodson and Fogg

Chapter-5

On account of being soaked in the rain and being confined to a closet, Mr. Pickwick became afflicted with rheumatism for which he was confined to his bed for two days. On the third day, however, Mr. Pickwick invited Mr. Wardle and Mr. Trundle for a bout of wine drinking; they accepted. Subsequently, as the three friends sat down to drank their wine, Mr. Pickwick related a story called “The Parish Clerk—A Tale of True Love,” which Mr. Pickwick became acquainted with on his first day of convalescence through Sam Weller, and which Mr. Pickwick took the trouble of recording in his notebook in the second day of his convalescence.
The story revolves around Nathaniel Pipkin, a modest man of modest means, a parish clerk who earns his living by teaching little boys in a little church. Indeed, everything about him was so modest and little that on the day he had the fortune to meet the bishop, Nathaniel was so overcome by the bishop’s greatness that he—Nathaniel—fainted.
Then one day Nathaniel Pipkin fell in love with Maria Lobbs, the daughter of the saddler old Lobbs. Though this wasn’t the first time Nathaniel saw Maria, for whatever reason she seemed prettier and more alluring than ever before.
Alas, Nathaniel Pipkin had to deal with old Lobbs, Maria Lobb’s fierce-tempered father who was rumoured to made hoarded a great wealth and who undoubtedly demand his son-in-law to be someone of high standing. Nonetheless, inspired by Maria Lobb’s beauty, Nathaniel Pipkin declared his love for Maria Lobbs. Consequently, at the suggestion of her mischievous cousin Kate, Maria Lobbs invited Nathaniel Pipkin to a party.
When Nathaniel Pipkin showed up at the party, he found himself in the company of Maria’s cousin Kate and gaggle of giggling girls all of whom were Maria Lobb’s friends. Alas, there was also a male cousin present who monopolize Maria Lobbs to the extent you would think that they were lovers.
Suddenly, there’s a knocking at the door. It’s old Lobbs returning unexpectedly and early from his evening engagement. He wanted his supper, and he was in a bad mood. The girls hid themselves in Maria’s bedroom, while Nathaniel and the male cousin hid in a closet.
Waited upon by a bony apprentice, who was the butt of old Lobb’s verbal abuses, old Lobbs had his dinner and then demanded his pipe. But the pipe was nowhere to be found. Old Lobbs checked the closet when lo and behold he found himself face to face with Nathaniel Pipkin. Old Lobbs demands to know what Nathaniel was doing in his house. When Nathaniel confessed that he was in love with Maria Lobbs, old Lobbs raised his arm to strike Nathaniel only to be prevented from doing so by the male cousin. “Strike me instead,” the male cousin said, confessing that he too was in love with Maria. Inspired by her cousin’s nobility, Maria Lobbs cried and her tears in turn softened old Lobb’s heart to the extent he consented to his daughter marrying her male cousin (who was Kate’s brother).
For two days after the masked ball party at Mrs. Leo Hunter’s, the Pickwickians—Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass from the Peacock and Mr. Winkle from the Pott’s residence—awaited some word from Mr. Pickwick, who’s still at Angel at Bury.
Presently, Mr. Winkle relaxed in the Pott’s sitting room when in walked Mr. Pott in a state of great agitation. For some reason, Mr. Pott was upset with Mr. Winkle to the point of calling him a “serpent”. When asked for an explanation, Mr. Pott produced the Eatans Independent, the Buff-biased newspaper, wherein there’s an editorial insinuating that Mr. Winkle had been making romantic overtures to Mrs. Pott.
Just as Mr. Winkle was about to connect the dots himself, Mrs. Pott walked in. Her puzzlement at her husband’s indignation was answered with her husband showing her the Eatans Independent editorial. Alas, the editorial so shocked Mrs. Potts that she started shrieking at the top of her lungs. Mr. Pott and Mr. Winkle tried to settle her down to no avail.
Presently, Goodwin, Mrs. Pott’s handmaiden and bodyguard of sorts attended to Mrs. Pott and joined Mrs. Pott in blaming Mr. Pott for allowing such libel to go unanswered. Distraught at his wife’s hysteria, Mr. Pott tried to console her to no avail. Only Goodwin could console Mrs. Pott, and she did at which point they all went to have breakfast.
At breakfast, Mrs. Pott expressed her hope that the libelous editorial hadn’t upset Mr. Winkle so that he might contemplate leaving any time soon only to be told that, having received a letter just this morning from Mr. Pickwick requesting Mr. Winkle’s presence at Angel at Bury, he would have to leave at noon. Thus when noon approached, Mr. Winkle, promising that he would return, said his goodbyes to the Potts. (Inwardly, Mr. Winkle resolved not to make any further interactions with the Potts, while Mr. Pott inwardly resolved to poison Mr. Winkle should he return.)
Reunited with Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass at the Peacock, Mr. Winkle and his fellow Pickwickians set off for Angel at Bury. When they arrived, not only were they met by Mr. Pickwick but also by Mr. Wardle and Mr. Trundle. Mr. Tupman was embarrassed to meet Mr. Wardle again. The embarrassment turned to distress at the news that Mr. Trundle had been formally engaged to be married. To his relief, Mr. Tupman was informed that Mr. Trundle was engaged to be married to Emily Wardle not Rachael Wardle. Though this was bad news to Mr. Snodgrass (who was fond of Emily Wardle), he put on a brave face.
Presently, the assembled party sat down to made a meal during which, to the horror of his fellow Pickwickians, Mr. Pickwick related his adventures vis-à-vis Alfred Jingle. Subsequently, Mr. Winkle related his involvement in the libellous editorial of Eatans Independent. Upon hearing Mr. Winkle’s story, Mr. Pickwick began an angry speech about the propensity of the Pickwickians to create trouble vis-à-vis the female members of the households that they were honoured to be the guests in when Sam Weller interrupted with a letter for Mr. Pickwick. Regaining his composure, Mr. Pickwick read the letter only to be traumatized by the contents therein. It’s a summons to a court hearing, charging Mr. Pickwick of being in breach of his promise to marry his landlady Mrs. Bardell. In shock, Mr. Pickwick apologized to his fellow Pickwickians for accusing them of creating trouble vis-à-vis female hosts when he himself was the principle offender.
The business with Mrs. Bardell was based on a colossal misunderstanding, and if Mr. Pickwick had his way, he would go at once to settle the matter. But, as he had promised to spend some time indulging in rest and relaxation with Mr. Wardle, Mr. Pickwick postponed visiting his lawyers in London. However, he sent Sam Weller ahead to book a couple of beds in London.
It was one of the most beautiful mornings imaginable in the English countryside when Mr. Wardle and the Pickwickians minus Mr. Snodgrass arrived at a game reserve where they met Martin, the gamekeeper who would lead the partedy on a shooting expedition. Alas, on account of being lame due to this rheumatism, Mr. Pickwick must return to his lodgings when one of Martin’s assistants proposed conveying Mr. Pickwick on a wheelbarrow. Though the gamekeeper was against this, he allowed it on account of Mr. Pickwick’s strong desire to tag along.
As it turned out, Mr. Pickwick’s desire to tag along wasn’t so much actuated by the loveliness of the scenery as it was to prevent Mr. Winkle’s ineptitude with firearms from creating havoc. Consequently, during the various stages of the expedition, Mr. Pickwick took Mr. Winkle to task with regard the manner in which Mr. Winkle handled his firearm. Even so, Mr. Winkle’s handling of his firearm was so inept that the rest of the shooting party kept a wary eye on him.
Though equally deficient in his knowledge of how to handle a firearm, Mr. Tupman proved to be much more circumspect and able in handling his. Indeed, Mr. Tupman managed to shoot down a partedridge of his own even though he had pulled the trigger with his eyes closed.
Presently, the party stopped for a meal in which everyone did justice to his appetite. During the meal, Sam Weller was censured by Mr. Pickwick for telling a gruesome story about a cook who resorted to butchering cats for his meat-pies. Otherwise, Mr. Pickwick proved to be the merriest of the bunch as he indulged in multiple cups of cold punch. Indeed, Mr. Pickwick drank so much that he fell asleep on the wheelbarrow in a drunken stupor.
As the second phase of the shooting expedition commenced, the party decided to let Mr. Pickwick sleep it off under the shade of an oak tree and then to pick him up on their way back. Alas, a half-hour passed when Captain Boldwig and his two gardeners came across Mr. Pickwick. Captain Boldwig, who was a fierce-tempered man and who was the landowner of the land upon which the shooting party had trespassed, decided to make the sleeping Mr. Pickwick incarcerated.
Thus, when the shooting party returned to the shade of the oak tree, they were puzzled by Mr. Pickwick’s disappearance. They couldn’t imagine how a lame man could have walked away, let alone push a wheelbarrow before him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pickwick woke up to in himself incarcerated and the object of derision by the local townsfolk when a passing vehicle stopped and Mr. Wardle came to Mr. Pickwick’s aid. Thus, Mr. Pickwick was whisked away in the vehicle.
When apprised of what had happened, Mr. Pickwick avowed to file a lawsuit against Captain Boldwig. However, Mr. Wardle dissuaded Mr. Pickwick from filing, arguing that Captain Boldwig could sue and embarrass Mr. Pickwick for being publicly intoxicated.
When Mr. Pickwick and Sam Weller arrived at the law offices of Dodson and Fogg, Jackson, a clerk, nonchalantly informed Mr. Pickwick that both Dodson and Fogg were currently indisposed to meet him. While Mr. Pickwick waited to meet with Dodson and Fogg, Jackson and his fellow law clerks carried on a conversation about how Dodson and Fogg took advantage of a man named Ramsey and of how Dodson and Fogg were exceptional at maximizing their profits. Sam Weller noted how the clerks turned their attention to Mr. Pickwick who they regarded as a molester of women.
Put in a good mood by the conversation, Jackson saw to Mr. Pickwick’s concern in earnest. Mr. Pickwick was led to Fogg’s office where he was presented with Mrs. Bardell’s writ suing Mr. Pickwick for a substantial sum of money. Mr. Pickwick ignored the writ, however, and addressed Dodson and Fogg, demanding to know on what grounds they intended to carry out the suit. When Dodson replied that he and Fogg were only doing their jobs in representing Mrs. Bardell and refused to see the matter in any other light than strictly in terms of carrying out their agenda regardless of the truth, Mr. Pickwick had choice words for them, which Dodson and Fogg encouraged all the while summoning their clerks to be witness to in case they decide to charge Mr. Pickwick for additional offences. Luckily for Mr. Pickwick, his valet Sam Weller had the presence of mind to remove him from the grounds lest Mr. Pickwick should exacerbate the situation.
For the sake of regaining his composure, Mr. Pickwick had Sam directed him to a pub where they found themselves being scrutinized by a stout man who was undoubtedly a coachman, as most of the patrons of this partedicular pub were. By and by, Sam recognized the stout man. He was no other than Sam Weller’s father. Thus Mr. Pickwick made the acquaintance of his valet’s father whose pet peeve was getting married to a widow. However, Mr. Weller also argued getting married to a widow was the perfect cure for the gout as the cause was inactivity and as there was nothing like being married to a widow to make a man work.
When Sam mentioned being swindled by a man named Job Trotter, Mr. Weller informed Mr. Pickwick and his son where they might in not only Job Trotter but also Alfred Jingle. Apparently, Mr. Weller, being a coachman, happened to be their driver as they were headed to Ipswich.
Though it’s late, Mr. Pickwick decided to drop by Mr. Perker’s office to settle Mrs. Bardell’s suit. Alas, Mr. Pickwick was informed by a cleaning lady that Mr. Perker would not return to his offices until a week had expired. She told him, however, that Mr. Lowten, Mr. Perker’s clerk, might be found at the Magpie and Stump. Thus, Mr. Pickwick and Sam retired to Magpie and Stump. There Mr. Pickwick met Mr. Lowten who assured Mr. Pickwick that he would see to Mrs. Bardell’s suit until Mr. Perker’s return. Satisfied, Mr. Pickwick was about to leave when Mr. Lowten invited Mr. Pickwick to join him and his friends who were having a private party of sorts. Mr. Pickwick consented if only to enrich his travelling diary.

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