Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 123: what you’re looking at

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PICKWICK ABROAD. ii} Francs. +“ why should I not expose a rogue and his “To anxiety of mind relative to your business, and deprivation of sleep occa- sioned thereby, for seven days, at five francs per diem. ‘ ' “ As I. was walking down the Rue St. Honore on your business, | was run over by a cab. Doctor's bill, and fees for loss of time during confinement to my beds ius swt pie on “ Having dined with you and got drunk at the Cafe de Paris, I lost the whole of the next day, dur-ng which I was obliged to drink continual draughts of Hock and soda-water ; for the whole of which I charge. , “ To time lost in endeavoring to get a wife for you, which I have not been able to do. sh ally , “ Writing a letter to you to ask you for the loan of twenty francs, which you sent me; and for receiving the same, and reading your answer, in which you stated that you had sent the money with the greatest pleasure. “ Bringing about an interview with Mademoiselle Anastasie de Volage, and opening the door to admit you both, with loss of time upon the occasion. “ General commission. Total. 85 100 50 50 10 15 20 ™ 400 “ T have now,” continued Mr. Terry, “ to hand you over just one hundred francs. Here they are—I shall not deduct any thing in the shape of commission for haying re- tained the money in my possession; I am not one of those professional men who live upon the good-nature or ignorance of their clients.” “You don’t mean to say that your bill amounts to four hundred francs?” inquired Mr. Tupman, in the most unfeigned astonish- ment. “Tf you like to have it taxed, you can,” returned Mr. Terry ; “ and I will hold all the money till it has gone through that pro- cess.” “ Thank you,” said Mr. Tupman; “ but I do not wish to incur any fresh expenses. I have been most shamefully treated in this affair, and shall not fail to expose the trans- action.” “No, you won't, old boy,” cried Mr. Terry, manifesting great indifference to this menace. “ And why not ?” demanded Mr. Tupman : associates ?” “ Shame, my dear friend—shame,” re- jomed Mr. Terry: “ you would suffer more than us all by giving publicity to the affair. In these cases that is my pull.” “ Your what?” indignantly ejaculated Mr. Tupman. “My pull—or my safeguard, if you like it better,” was the reply. Mr. Tupman perceived that further con- tention would be useless; he therefore con- signed the remnant of his thousand francs to his pocket, and departed with a face consi- derably increased in its longitudinal propor- tions by the afternoon’s adventure. CHAPTER XXIV. The infamous conduct of Messieurs Halfmaine and Lovewood, Inn-keepers of Bridge Street, Black- friars, London.—Mr. Weller’s anecdote.—A Car- nival Masgerade, its particulars, and results. Axsout four months had passed away since the marriage of Mr. Nassau Siffkin and the accomplished Mrs. Weston; and during that period Mr. Winkle had returned to London to pass a few weeks in the bosom of his fa- mily, as the pathetic language of modern days expresses a short sojourn in one’s own house. He then rejoined his friends in Paris ; and as the day of his arrival in that city once more was only a month or so after the sixth of January, he brought an enormous twelfth- cake with him from one of the most approved pastry-cook’s shops in London. “You have just come back in time, my dear Winkle,” said Mr. Pickwick, when the usual welcomes, inquiries, and congratula- tions, incidental to the meeting of friends, had taken place. grand masquerade at the Hotel de Ville to- morrow night.” “ Where there will be crowds of the pret- tiest girls in Paris,” added Mr. Tupman. “It 1s Carnival time, you know.” “And where the brows of the poet shall be covered with laurel in reality,” observed Mr. Snodgrass. “Quite right,” said Mr. Pickwick ; “and where they give you the best rum-punch you ever tasted.” These inducements were too strong to be resisted even for a moment: Mr. Winkle ac- cordingly expressed his willingness to accom- pany his friends; and another ticket was “We are all: gong toa, ECOMmElooo SS (CO)