Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 14: what you’re looking at

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% be € | . oh op” es , % , 24, gs - PICKWICK ABROAD. ’ moment’s reflection : “the crowd is so noisy that I should not be heard—and, as you _very properly observed, the half of it is ‘composed of Frenchmen, who would not understand me” “Thank God, Arabella is not with us !” said Mr. Winkle, hastily, and turning up his eyes to heaven with an extraordinary “Why so?’ demanded Mr. Pickwick, ooking sternly for a moment at his young friend. ; “ Because Tupman is really indecent in his conduct,” responded Mr. Winkle. “He has already entered into conversation with the pretty chambermaid in the yard of a public hotel.” “Sam? said Mr. Pickwick abruptly, so soon as he had satisfied himself of the truth of Mr. Winkle’s statement. “Sir !” said Mr. Weller, touching his hat. “Tell Mr. Tupman to follow us immedi- ately into the coffee room: the eyes of the - whole town are upon us.— Waiter, show us to the coffee-room.” The waiter, who had been lurking about the new-comers ever since the first moment Mr. Pickwick alighted in the yard from the shoulders of his bearers, and who happened to speak very good English, instantly obeyed the command, and ushered Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Winkle to the coffee- room, whither they were shortly followed by Mr. Tupman, who wore a cunning smile upon his countenance, and Mr. Samuel Weller. It is almost needless to remark that the illustrious party took off their hats to the crowd that thronged the entrance of the hotel, as they withdrew from the pre- sence of that respectable congregation ; and it may also be perfectly well understood that the members of the said congregation were peculiarly delighted with their morn- anz’s amusement, and separated for the purpose of repairing each to the cafe or ‘English pot-house he was in the habit of frequenting. The sporting character in vain looked for an invitation to dinner with oMr. Pickwick and his friends, as a reward for his eloquent oration ; and at length with- drew in disgust, accompanied by a broken- down parson, who boasted of being the ille- gitimate son of some lord, and two or three other seedy looking representatives of the great English nation, to a low tavern, where his egotism made him an important person for the remainder of the day. “Well, after all,” said Mr. Winkle, as the travellers seated themselves opposite a cheerful fire in the coffee-room, “there is not so much difference between an English . and a French town.” : “ Bricks is bricks, Sir, all the vorld over,” observed Mr. Weller, relapsing a moment | from his occupation of hanging up great- coats, hats, de., on the pegs attached to the walls. | “You will find the manners and customs, . somewhat different, Winkle,” said Mr. Pick- wick, “ before you have been here long.” ; “Tis a lost country, Sir,” said Mr. Weller, with a doleful shake of the head. ‘ _“A lost country, Sam!” cried Mr. Pick- wick, in astonishment. 53; “Yes, Sir—a lost country—a nation vith- | out principle, Sir,” replied Mr. Weiler, earnestly ; “since a period vich they calls the evolution, Sir, there has n’t been no manners in France ; there ’s no sich thing as, a gen’leman known—a servant is as good as his mas’er, Sir,—for they air all equal, as the nobleman said, ven he give. the chimbly-sveep a cheer (chair), and told him to make his-self at home.” sia “Tem. afraid, Sam,” suggested Mr, Pic wick, mildly, “that your account israther , exageerated.” | “Quite impossible to be incorrect, Sir,” returned Sam, “ven it vos the skipper o’ that ’ere wessel, in vich ve come, as took the trouble o’ hedificating me on that head. ‘The French is greatly to be pitied, Sir, says I, ‘if there isn’t no genlemen among © ’em’.—‘ They’ don't know the , walley o’ liberty,’ says the captain mournfully.—‘ No more they does, Sir, says I, ‘since they’ve a-made their-selves all equal.’—‘ Wery | common to see a private sodger arm-in-arm — vith a officer,’ says the captain, ‘and that isn’t discipline. But it’s no vonder, con- tinues he more sorrowfly than afore, ‘as © they’ve a-bolished flogging in the army.’— He vould a-gone on vith his argiments, but his okkipation obleeged him to go into a hole beneath the biler for a moment, and Mr. Vinkle vanted a glass o’ brandyan | vater, vich unforeseen accidents caused us y to separate, as the scientific gen’leman said ven he fell from the parishoot.” ” “Well, we shall see,” observed Mr. Pick- wick, doubtfully, when his domestic had . made an end of speaking ; and at that mo- ment the waiter entered to lay the cloth for § ae VW. ‘luncheon. Fe “ What wine will you take, Sir ?” inquired the waiter, addressing Mr. Pickwick. COnnicaoaaKS Eom),