[43]Dictionary of National Biography, vol. xxii., p. 323.
[44] After the release of Mr Pickwick, Mr Wardle and his family had apartments in the Adelphi Hotel. There Dickens laid the scene of one of his best chapters: "Driving to the George and Vulture, they found that Arabella and her maid had sent for a hackney-coach immediately on the receipt of a short note from Emily announcing her arrival in town, and had proceeded straight to the Adelphi. As Wardle had business to transact in the city, they sent the carriage and the fat boy to his hotel, with the information that he and Mr Pickwick would return together to dinner at five o'clock.
"Now, whether the shake had jumbled the fat boy's faculties together, instead of arranging them in proper order, or had roused such a quantity of new ideas within him as to render him oblivious of ordinary forms and ceremonies, or (which is also possible) had proved unsuccessful in preventing his falling asleep as he ascended the stairs, it is an undoubted fact that he walked into the sitting-room without previously knocking at the door, and so beheld a gentleman with his arm clasping his young mistress's waist, sitting very lovingly by her side on a sofa, while Arabella and her pretty handmaid feigned to be absorbed in looking out of a window at the other end of the room. At sight of which phenomenon the fat boy uttered an interjection, the ladies a scream, and the gentleman an oath, almost simultaneously.
"'Wretched creature! what do you want here?' said the gentleman, who, it is needless to say, was Mr Snodgrass.
"To this the fat boy, considerably terrified, briefly responded, 'Missis.'
"'What do you want me for?' inquired Emily, turning her head aside; 'you stupid creature.'
"'Master and Mr Pickwick is going to dine here at five,' replied the fat boy.
"'Leave the room!' said Mr Snodgrass, glaring upon the bewildered youth.
"'No, no, no!' added Emily, hastily. 'Bella, dear, advise me.'