( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) 'Serpent, Sir,' repeated Mr. Pott, raising his voice, and then suddenlydepressing it: 'I said, serpent, sir--make the most of it.
When you have parted with a man at two o'clock in the morning, on termsof the utmost good-fellowship, and he meets you again, at half-pastnine, and greets you as a serpent, it is not unreasonable to concludethat something of an unpleasant nature has occurred meanwhile.
How dare you address me, as dear Sir, Sir?How dare you look me in the face and do it, sir?Well, Sir, if you come to that,' responded Mr. Winkle, 'how dare youlook me in the face, and call me a serpent, sir?Because you are one,' replied Mr. Pott.
Mr. Pottcast an imploring look at the innocent cause of the mischief, as if toentreat him to say nothing about the serpent.
The serpent was on the watch, the train was laid, the mine waspreparing, the sapper and miner was at work.