Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

} 2 *y % | PICKWICK ABROAD == 155 x «i r << 7 _.. © Anastasie de Volage !” cried Mr. Tup- Ae, man. . | ‘te “The same,” rejoined the Gendarme. "©" Wot is them chaps a-talkin’ about, _ Sammy?” demanded old Mr. Weller, in a “whisper, as he pointed to the Gendarmes. there’s a little o’ that vork rekvired, ve'll soon do it, you an’ me, Samivel.”* “It’s only a young o’oman as has got herself into a scrape,” returned Sam ; “an’ so there ain’t no necessity for pitchin’ into people.” a ~) “Vell, Pm rayther sorry for that,” said 5 Sam’s father. ; _ . Vy %” demanded the dutiful son. __.. “Cos there’s nothin’ like a little exercise, _. Samivel, as the wery old donkey observed ven they made him get up from his death- _. bed to carry nine gen’lemen in a tax-cart to _ Green'ich Fair.” ~~ Now, you cut off, old feller,” said Sam. _. “ Wery much obleeged for your adwice, Samivel,” returned Mr, Weller, “ an’ shan’t fail for to foller it. Good night, Samivel. _ Gen'lemen, I vish you all a good night’s rest, an’ thank’ee kindly for your ciwili- ties.” | With these words Mr. Weller, senior, de- adip e and the two Gendarmes having ade adieu to the gentlemen present, and to Mr. Samuel Weller, also withdrew to attend to Mademoiselle Anastasie de Vo- lage. | , CHAPTER XXXIIT. , y The office of a Commissary of Police —The dissatis- fied husband.—-A gentleman anda donkey —A religious and hard-working boy.—Mr. Benjamin ween ws, the love-letter.—An inebriate gentle- man.—Mademioiselle Anastasie. In a room, adored with murors and chan- deliers, and furnished even in a costly man- per, sate one of the four Commissaries of Police for the second arrozdissement of Pa- ris, with a clerk on his right hand. a police- agent on his left, and a tri-colored scarf round his waist. Near the desk behind which the public functionary was seated, stood Ma- demoiselle Anastasie de Volage, beside two Gendarmes* and in one corner of the apart- ment, her respectable old mother was weep- ing in an arm-chair, with a case-bottle of ings, nor the apple-woman. But the pris- | n one hand, a oner is one who has cheated at least three | handkerchief in the other. The use of the as brandy in one hand, and a cambric pocket one was to dry up the moisture of the sto- mach, and the latter to absorb the humidity of the eyes. The feelings of the ancient lady were deeply affected by the ignominious po- sition of her daughter; and in order to give free vent to them, she from time to time be stowed an indignant glance or an emphatic “Is any von’ to be pitched into; cos if | imprecation upon the Commissary of Police _ *, and his agents. Anastasie herself was a bold girl, and on occasions like these, she disdained the use of tears. She, however, kept her eyes fixed upon | the ground, and seemed more annoyed at the | lachrymose deportment of her mother, than at the perils ot her own peculiar situation —* We will examine and dispose of a few cases of trivial importance,” said the Commissary, the clock at the hotel of the Ministry of Marine struck the hour of ten a. m.; “and, in’ the meantime you may withdraw into anad- joining room.” These last words were addressed to Made-— moiselle Aanastasie, who was accordiagly ~ conducted into another apartment, whither she was immediately followed by her mother. The Commissary then signified his readiness to hear complaints, receive charges, and ad- minister all other duties that came within the scope of his official attributes. A little shrivelled, nmiserable-looking, old man stepped forward, and solicited the ad- vice of the magistrate in an aflauy which he stated to be of considerable delicacy and im- portance, and which, after a great deal of hesitation, he explained as follows :— ' “Tama man, sir, in a most respectable line of business, and have always led a happy and merry life wp to yesterday ; and yester- day all my grievances began, and from yes- terday will my future history be a sad con- trast with the annals of my previous existence. I was foolish enough, JZ. le Conunissaire, to take unto myself a wife; but when I bayr- gained for a wife, I did not think that I was going to espouse an amazon for ferocity, and a woman who is so deeply indebted to all the mechanics and artizaus in Paris, that her custom alone would be a fortune to them, were they paid.” “You speak in enigmas,” said the Com- missary. “ Explain yourself.” “That is very — easily done,” continued the irate old gentle- man; andin a few words. I paid my ad-. dresses to a young lady, whom I fancied: to be complete and sound in wind and limb like other women; but when the secrets of the 4s 7 J : COM (A) m | ype