'I should like to go to the dance,' said Mr Tupman again.

'So should I,' said the stranger - 'damn my luggage - heavy suitcases yet nothing to wear to the dance - odd, ain't it?'

Now, behaving well toward everyone was one of the main ideas of the Pickwickian theory. And no one was more enthusiastic about behaving in the way suggested by such a noble principle than Mr Tracy Tupman. The Pickwick Society's records show an almost incredible number of times when that excellent man referred collectors for charity to the houses of other members of the society to collect their cast-off garments or receive pecuniary relief.

'I should be very happy to lend you a change of clothes for the dance,' said Mr Tracy Tupman, 'but you are quite thin, and I am -

'Rather fat. A grown - up Bacchus - without the vine-leaf crown - got down from the wine barrel, and started wearing kersey, eh? ha! ha! Pass the wine.'