Dickens' works Author:Charles Dickens Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. THE STHOi.l,Kit's TALE. A DISAGBEEABLE INTEBRUPTION, AND AN UNPLEASANT BENCONTBE. Mb. Pickwick had felt some apprehensions... more » in consequence of the unusual absence of his two friends, which their mysterious behavior during the whole morning had by no means tended to diminish. It was, therefore, with more than ordinary pleasure that he rose to greet them when they again entered; and with more than ordinary interest that he inquired what had occurred to detain them from his society. In reply to his questions on this point, Mr. Snod- grass was about to offer an historical account of the circumstances just now detailed, when he was suddenly checked, by observing that there were present not only Mr. Tupman and their stage-coach companion of the preceding day, but another stranger of equally singular appearance. It was a careworn- looking man, whose sallow face, and deeply sunken eyes were rendered still more striking than nature had made them, by the straight black hair which hung in matted disorder half way down his face. His eyes were almost unnaturally bright and piercing ; his cheekbones were high and prominent; and his jaws were so long and lank, that an observer Vol. I.-4. 49 would have supposed that he was drawing the flesh of his face in, for a moment, by some contraction of the muscles, if his half-opened mouth and immovable expression had not announced that it was hist ordinary appearance. Round his neck he wore a green shawl, with the large ends straggling over his chest, and making their appearance occasionally, beneath the worn buttonholes of his old waistcoat. His upper garment was a long black surtout; and below it, he wore wide drab trousers, and large boots, running rapidly to seed. It was on this uncouth-looking person, that M...« less