Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

fe = * 134 Sy At a little distance from» this happy. party, sate a very stout old lady witha very thin daughter, and a gentleman with a wig, whose back was turned towards Captain Walsingham, stood talking to them. But the tone of this gentleman’s voice seemed far from’ unfamiliar to him; and two or three observations made by the said gentleman produced a somewhat ex- traordinary effect upon the gallant Captain. He started—gazed uneasily around—and for a moment appeared thoughtful and em- barrassed. “It was in Paris, ma’am, that this took piace,” said the gentleman with the wig to the lady with the daughter, in allusion to some adventure he had just been relating: “Twas staying at Lawson’s—no, I wasn’t —what a terrible falsehood I was going to tell you—twas at. Meurice’s, I meant—in the Rue Saint Honoré. No—no—in the Rue de Rivoli, it was—what nonsense I am talking !” _ “ Paris) 1s a very beautiful place, I be- heve,” observed the fat old lady. “Lor ma, of course it is,” returned the thin daughter in a tone of reproof, as much as to say that no lady, who pretended to be a lady, ought to be ignorant of such a notorious fact. | “Paris 78 a splendid place,” said ‘the gentleman. “TI recollect when I was at Brussels—no, it wasn’t—it was at Vienna " -—I mean, the East Indies—it, was very hot indeed. By the bye, did I say just now that I had been in China ?” “T think you intimated as much,” swered the old lady. . “Well, then—if I did,” cried the gentle- man, very properly ‘suggesting errata in reference to his own discourse every two minutes, “I told you a confounded story,” an- |) This was quite, enough for Captain Horatio Clarence Walsingham. He jumped up from his chair, pleaded a sudden indis- | position as an excuse for his’ rudeness, and | disappeared from the drawing-room as quickly as two good legs and a pair: of lancmg-pumps could carry him. But as was descending the stairs ‘three at a time, he ran forcibly against Mr. Muggins, whose nose was severely damaged by the violence of the concussion, and whose equi- librium was almost totally overthrown “Where are you running to ?” demanded Mr. Muggins, rubbing his nose. “Home—anywhere—I am dangerously ill—-dying—all but dead,” cried the Captain. . PICKWICK ABROAD. ¢* . ¢. 4 - “ Stay.a moment,” exclaimed Mr. gins, “ you can '¥Yetire to my own bed-r ‘and he down a little.” " Lcthgien us 3 “Impossible !” returned Captain Walsing- ham. ? Hy “TI can’t suffer you to go away i . this state,” said Mr. Muggins: “you might faint in the street. Besides, you don’t look so very bad after all.” Pe Te tee “Oh! Tm better now,” ejaculated the Captain; and he made a desperate. effort to pass Mr. Muggins on the stairs: but that gentleman held him by. his’ coat-tails, and begged him to return to the drawing- room. 4 4 “T must introduce yo ‘to a certain » per- son there,” said Mr. sMuggins; “he’s ciniteh an original, I can assure you. You'll be vastly amused with him, I know!” ““Who the devil is he!” demanded the Captain, impatiently. , di “Oh! a gentleman that, I’ve known a long—long time,”. returned Mr. Muggins: “ his name is Boozie.” Ft palit nh eae “ Boozie ?” ejaculated the Captain ; ana the name seemed to give him fresh force to tear himself away. i oe “ Walsingham,” cried Mr. Muggins, “this is very strange conduct on your part: I see youre no more ill than T’m ill—but I sup- pose that some other gal besides my daugh- ter has attractions for you” Captain Walsingham — hesitated—this firmness on the part of Mr. Muggins alarmed him. He could not afford to lose the fair hand of Miss Aramintha ; and there | Were certain, very pressing reasons ypch rendered it inconvenient for him to return to the , within himself for one moment what course to pursue; and the result of his reflections was that he, declared himself to be much | better, and, professed his willingness to ac- company Mr. Muggins to the drawing-room nee more. But as he turned to ascend the ‘stairs, his foot purposely slipped, and he fell with his head against one of the ater Mr, Muggins hastened to his assistance—the Captain applied his hands to his right eye, as if to ease the pain the blow had occa- sioned—and Mr. Muggins led him down to was speedily summoned to his assistance ; and a piece of brown paper steeped in vinegar was forthwith applied to the Cap- tain’s right optic. A neat white cambric handkerchief was then tied round his head; and by way of precaution, the Captain drawing-room, He deliberated ¢. the front parlor on the ground-floor. Mary IDOOKSEGE () (©)