Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 117: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘a FR a A * - « . . 4 pee | made her look in at the winder and. choose summot for herself. I think a sqeeze round the vaist isas good as anything else. Vimen likes little attentions, as the vatchman said vhen he handed the nobleman’s vife a, flask 0 brandy. “T think I shall profit by your advice, nw,” said Mr. Pickwick, as he merged with exceeding ease and elasticity from his bed. In half an‘hour the great man had com- letied his toilet; and when he entered the ining-room he was forthwith congratulated by his three friends, whose felicitations were delivered in such a strain of simultaneous enthusiasm that Mr. Pickwick did not under- stand one word that was uttered by either. “ Now then to breakfast,” cried Mr. Pick- wick, Mr. Walker having as yet alone com- menced an attack upon the viands: “ and then we must be off to Scuttle’s.” “ Notice in Galignani this mornin’,” said Mr. Weller, drawing a paper from his pocket ; and without any farther preface, he read the following extract: “ ‘ Ve understand that, Mr. Samivel Pickwick, the celebrated traveller and antikvarian, is about to lead to the him- myneal haltar the lovely vidder, Mrs. Sophia Veston, niece of Mr. Jeremiah Scuttle, who has so long been a distinguished resident in Paris. —V ell, that ain’t nothin, I don’t think, x3 the doctor said yen the gen’leman womit- ed the kitchen poker.” The breakfast lasted till about twelve o'clock ; and at that hour a series of hackney- coaches was brought up to the door, and the whole party proceeded to the lodgings occu- pied by Mr. Scuttle and Mrs. Weston. Mr. eller was seated upon the dickey of that vehicle in which the four great travellers were ensconced ; andas the cavalcade passed up the Boulevards, the facetious domestic wayed his hat joyously over his head, and performed several other antics to the great delight of all who beheld him. At length the party arrived at Mr. Scut- tle’s abode, and found that gentleman in his best clothes and an excellent humor. It is true that when he was attiring himself in the morning, he had slipped his legs into the sleeves of his coat, and his arms into his drawers ; and that, he did not detect his errror till he looked at* himself in the glass to see if his toilet was complete ; but this little re- currence of his old malady had not ruffled his temper: and he received his intended nephew and the party of gentlemen who followed in the rear, with the utmost ur- banity and kindness, PICKWICK ABROAD. * 105 Mr. Pickwick opened. the cor versation Sy playfully reminding Mr. Scuttle that the hour was already past at. which the bishop had promised to be in attendance at the Ambassador’s chapel. Mr, Scuttle then, for the first time, recollected that he had not seen his niece since breakfast ; he accordingly summoned a female domestic and dispatched her to Mrs. Weston’s apartment with a mes+ sage to intimate that the bridegroom and his friends were waiting. In the mean time, it having been pro- posed by Mr. Scuttle that the gentlemen should join the ladies who had beem invited to attend the ceremony and partake of the bridal dinner in the evening, a tumultuous rush of males from the adjacent apartment put an end to the very interesting conyersa- tion which was going on amongst the fe- male portion of the visitors. , But time wore away, and still Mrs. Weston did not make her appearance. Mr. Pickwick grew impa- tient, and Mr. Scuttle uneasy ; and at length the housemaid announced that the lady’s- maid was nowhere to be found. Mr. Scut- tle intimated that she was with her mis tress: but upon further inquiry, it was also ascertained that Mrs. Weston herself had disappeared, Swift as an arrow shot from a bow by the hand of a stalwart archer—or fleet as the fall of a quarrelsome gentleman, when his frends pitch him out of the window— did Mr. Scuttle descend the stairs and hasten ip the porter’s lodge, to! question him rela- ve to the movements of his niece. After a great deal of hesitation—for the porter’s eyes had been closed by the weight of two five-franc pieces which had been admihis- tered, and could only be opened on a coun- ter-irritating principle of applying a double allowance to the palms of his hands—the Cerberus intimated to Mr. Scuttle that Mrs. Weston and the lady’s-maid had departed in a hackney coach about two hours pre- viously, and that a gentleman with black whiskers met them at the door and accom- panied them. " Mr. Scuttle applied his band to his head, to aseertain if he were standing upon that part of his body or upon his heels; and having satisfied himself as to the nature of his position, he rushed out of the porter’s lodge as fast,as his fat legs could carry him, and pitched himself head-foremost into the — nearest cabriolet. « English Ambassador’s—drive like fury,” _ said Mr. Scuttle to the cab-man. EO DOO AMUC SS