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_From Mr. Pickwick to the Count Fosco_.
May 24.
MY DEAR SIR,—Many thanks for your very kind invitation. Apart from the
interests of science, the pleasure of your company alone would be more
than enough to make me gladly accept it. I shall have the enjoyment of
testing your milk-punch to-morrow night at nine, with the confident
expectation that your admirable studies will have overcome a tendency
which for many years has prevented me from relishing, as I could wish,
one of the best things in this good world. Lemon, in fact, has always
disagreed with me, as Professor Allen or Sir Robert Sawyer will be able
to assure you; so your valuable experiment can be put, in my case, to a
crucial test.—Very faithfully yours,