Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

or. ’ 4, humble individual that pronounces these words. No,—for the Duke of Orleans has “noticed me at Chantilly,—and, what. is ~ more, he has spoken tome! But it must “be related by other tongues, and celebrated by other pens, than mine. If I have ob- tained a considerable reputation in the rorld, and if writings have produced moral effects upon the principal nations in Europe—an observation made to me by the uke of ——, when he passed through uw . . Calais a few days ago—I am not vain—I am no egotist, Mr. Pickwick ;—but ever ? since the times when He was about to continue his very edify- ing oration, when Mr. Weller, who strongl » suspected “the sporting character to be a downright humbug,’—as he expressed him- self to Mr. Winkle, with a peculiar naivete —interrupted the importance of the pro- feeding by stepping up to Mr. Pickwick, . touching his hat, and saying, “Beg pardon, sir, but the ekipage is a-vaiting; and if ve stand ’ere all day a-listening to that chap in the seedy black coat, vith his prompter _ behind him, ve shall never get to our jour- ney’s end, as the conwict said, ven the pop- lage eirumwented the cart, as he vos a-go- ‘ing to be hanged.” When Mr, Weller had delivered himself of this peculiarly long string of observa- — Se vehicle that was waiting for his reception, thrust Mr. Winkle after Mr. Pickwick, and ~ pushed Mr. Tracy Tupman lightly upon the other two; having performed which feat, he himself mounted the dickey, seated himself next to the coachman, and the hors- es having been duly whipped and anathe- Winatised by both parties, the carriage was borne away to the ligsle wooden house in- " _ dicated by the captain, amidst the shouts, ~~ screams, yells, and applause of the hetero- - geneous mob, every individual of which fancied that the, most satisfactory note of ’ applause was the highest note his voice could reach. The ‘examination was brief ail 4 and speedily accomplished at the little wooden house, and was onl¥ interrupted for a moment by the civilities which Mr. Weller thought necessary to heap upon the custom-house officer who investigated the -_» pockets of Mr, Pickwick’s functionary. The custom-house officer did not, however, ex- actly comprehend the nature of Mr. Wel- ler’s apostrophe, and the party was about to resume their places in or out of the car- riage as before, when the partially sup- * * my a : A) + ° <7 ii = PICKWICK ABROAD. . tions, he gently eased Mr. Pickwick into the 4 *7 = pressed enthusiasm of the mob broke forth, and the respect that the assembled Frengp and English jointly and individually enter- tained for the illustrious name of Pickwick, was immediately demonstrated by that gen- tleman being lightly flung upon the. shoul- ers of some half-dozen of the strongest and stoutest present; and in this manner as he borne to Meurice’s hotel, Mr. Na- haniel Winkle, Mr. Tracy Tupman, and Mr. Samuel Weller following in the rear. CHAPTER IL Mr. Samuel Weller’s opinions on divers matten connected with the French, and the particulars of a French luncheon, or dejeuner a la fourchette. It was a most interesting spectacle to see Mr. Pickwick mounted on the shoulders of his supporters, endeavoring to sit easily in one of the very worst of positions, and his expressive countenance lighted up’ with smiles of “ pleasing pain.” His eyes beamed with philanthropy and kindness on the re- spectable multitude around him; and an octasional sigh escaped his mighty breast, when the sight of some tatterdemalion awakened feelings of commiseration and pity in his bosom, He was not, however, doomed to be very grievously afflicted on this occasion ; for we are confidently assur ed that out of thrée hundred people, twen ty-seven were dressed in decent coats, anu upwards of forty in fustian shooting jackets There was, moreover, a brilliant display o gaberdines, aprons, and shirt-sleeves. A deputation, volunteered and self elected, of about two dozen small boys | having prepared the inmates of the Hotel Meurice, for the arrival of the illustrious visitors, the whole house was immediately involved in confusion and riot; and when the procession reached the entrance of the hotel, and precipitated Mr. Pickwick on his legs amidst thunders of applause, an army of domestics,—cooks, waiters, chamber- maids, ostlers, &c—was drawn up to wel- come the great man and his illustrious fol- lowers. Mr. Pickwick would have ad- dressed the multitude, had not two reasons —the first of which was suggested by cir- cumstances, and the latter by Mr. Winkle— prevented him. “You are right, my dear friend,” said My. Pickwick to Mr. Winkle, without a An <S CO) DOO)