“That has nothing whatever to do with the matter, Sam,” interposed Mr. Pickwick. “Pray hold your tongue.”

“I ain’t a-goin’ to say nothin’ on that ’ere pint, sir,” replied Sam, “but merely this here. P’raps that gen’l’m’n may think as there wos a priory ’tachment; but there worn’t nothin’ o’ the sort, for the young lady said in the wery beginnin’ o’ the keepin’ company, that she couldn’t abide him. Nobody’s cut him out, and it ’ud ha’ been jist the wery same for him if the young lady had never seen Mr. Vinkle. That’s what I wished to say, sir, and I hope I’ve now made that ’ere gen’l’m’n’s mind easy.”