Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

ir Weller, that leads to a series of very interesting adventures.—Messieurs Porrett and Knackers.— Mr. Winkle exhibits some —" traits of cha- racter. " Sam,” ad Mr. Pickwick, on the fol- a lowing miorning, when he awoke and per- ceived his’ faithful attendant disposing his clothes in order, as usual, “ mpes is the matter with your eye ?” “ Rayther damaged, sir,” was the answer : “ but its a blessin’ that my nose ain’t In a sling, for I got wery sewerely panne last night, sir.” “ Punished!” ejaculated Mr. Pickwick ; -“and by whom ?” = tobe sure,” cried Mr. Weller. as I speaks of is spereted boys vich knows “Vy, Sir,”. returned Mr. Weller, whose. right optic presented an interesting, combi- nation of colors, amongst which blue was the most pr -edominant, % there’s a party 0 milling coves jist.come over from England on a little private spekilation o’ their own.’ “Ah! I see—mill-wrights engaged. in the prosecution of their craft,” exclaimed Mr. Pickwick. “ No sich thing, sir,” cried Sam: “they aia’t no more mill-wrights than you or me is, They're chaps as belongs to the fancy.” “ Traders in little articles for the female toilet, I dare say,” observed Mr. Pickwick. ug bd, sir, how very innocent you air, to The fellers how to handle their fives.” “Now I understand you Sam,” said Mr. Pickwick. “They are people ‘who have come over to establisn a tennis-court, and you have doubtless received a blow from a ball in the eye. Well, Sam, there is no harm in a little innocent recreation.” adal Vy, sir, von must actiwally spell things _ next,” exclaimed Mr. Weller, with a little more impatience of manner than he usually exhibited towards his master. ing vovies as I alludes to, and vor of vich gived me this here poult in the eye, is men dewoted to the wery amiable science of sae i eye: ‘fighters they calls ’em in En Fey one of them dared to assault you, ‘Sam ? ?” cried Mr. Pickwick, in the deepest indignation. ; Ve assaulted each other by mutual consent, I.should rayther think,” answered Mr. Weller. “Fust he gived me a teazer ‘The mill-’ aii ht : | gay? | ra ‘iy rk 128 PICKWICK om 4 . . @ 2 CHAPTER XXVIII. . ; on the left cheek, and then I jist dropt t him | two for his pains, yon on e, CO ae A conversation el epn Mi, Pickwick ‘and ‘Mr. other on the box o’.dominos. “* Hit him hard, Tom, as the Colonel says to the drum- mer ven they flogs the men to. de didn’t too. But I jist gived relish his dinner vith, instead come off vith no more hurt than this here black eye.” “Then, in plain English, Sam,” said Mr. Pickwick, “you mean to. assert that you had a fight—a disgraceful fight—witt a common boxer.” “Disgraceful, sit!” cried Mr. Weller “ Nothin’ worn’t more. fairer in the whole vorld.. We had two seconds, and a umpire, and the claret flowed very freely on both sides,” © “Then you were tipsy, I suppose,” ex- claimed Mr. Pickwick, casting a terme olance at his delinquent valet, who only nodded and smiled significantly, without expressing the ‘slightest‘contrition or regret. “ Ve scarcely touched a drop : 0’ any thing the whole blessed evenin’, sir,” answered Mr. Weller. “But raly von don’t dare use figures o’ speech vith you, sir, ’cos you doesn’t understand the langvidge o the fancy. Claret means blood, sir.” “Tt is distressing to think that the words commonly in yogue amongst Bentoes people cannot suffice. for the lower orders,” ejacu- lated Mr. Pickwick: “but the tr hi is, that the young gentlemen themselves about London, delight now-a-days to ape the vul- garity and manners of common prize-fight-, ers, and thus is the English language gra- dually becoming a mixture of the most im- proper, synonyms.” ‘ Having delivered these sentiments, the weight of which was considerably , assisted by the impressive manner in which the learned orator waved -his night-cap back- wards and. forwards as, he spoke, Mr. Pick- wick jumped nimbly out of bed and stepped upon a large cat which was quietly repos- ing on thecarpet. The great man gave a terrific shout—the large cat flew first at his leg and then out of the room—and Mr. Wellerbit his lips till they bled to-restrain his laughter. The adventure, however, re- stored Mr. Pickwick to his wonted _good humor; and when he found that"he had sustained no.damage from the ire of tne‘cat, he himself induleed in a loud cachinnation in the music of which Mr, Weller most cordially joined. ) im enough to “at Voolich,’ cried von feller; an’ blowd if he ~ ’ cheese, and . GOMGDOO (7) (C(O)