Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

ry ~~ - o* Ines & ky "¥ RE ON? " Sh f, ! 157 , made no disturbance in the streets, as he al- A. boy was now brought upin the custody _ ways went barefooted. » = | +|of a police seek charged with having _. “ Aye, there it is,” cried the English wit- | sounded the depths of two or three gentle ‘ ness. “The Neddy goes on vithout makin’ | men’s pockets, in a most mysterious but no. noise in the world, so that he steals on | highly practical and scientific manner. "you, an’ goes over you afore you knows vere} “ Evenif I hadmy hands in agentleman’s you are, till you feels his guffs in your bow- | pocket last night,” said the boy, “ the weather. els. It. is a dangerous hoccupation for to let | was so desperately cold, I am sure I was sich hanimals go at large on the King’s high- | glad to put them any wheres we ys * eae vay, without punishment by hact o’ parlia- “TIT know that boy to be a most .incor- ~ Mem Rh) : rizible thief, Monsieur,” said the town-ser- _ “ And how were they disposed of at | jeant. aon i last, officer 7” demanded the magistrate. § | “ You say you know me!” cried the boy. “We took the defendant to the guard- |“ Nowam J not like other boys? Is there . house, Monsieur;’ was the town-serjeant’s | any thing extraordinary about me?” ‘ answer, “ “ the donkey followed us. We} “I saw you try two or three pockets,” an- , locked up his master in the violon, and | swered the police-agent. gave the animal a knock with a stick to| “Now mind what you say!” exclaimed send him home. But he did not mind it ;— | the boy. “ There is somebody here whe on the contrary, he put,his head inside the | knows,that you are telling a story. Ishould . door of the outer guard-room, and made | be glad to ascertain what chance you will such a terrible he-hawing, that some of the | have in another world, if you tell lies in mob who were passing at the time criedout, | this of a poor inant boy. Well—what Oh ! it’snothing but the patrol quarreling !’” | did you see me do?” “J really think that you might have per-| “ I saw you put your hands into the pock- mitted the defendant. to go home with his | ets of two or three gentlemen who were donkey,” observed the Commissary to the walking up the Boulevards,” said the police- town-serjeant. | man. “ And so we did, Monsiew’,’ answered | “ Have you any jdea of another world?’ _the police-agent. “ But you shall hear the | demanded the boy. upshot of the whole matters The corporal | You see that-you are well known,” sai i on guard advised me to let them be both | the Commissary. together, and so I let in the donkey so keep | “ Known!” cried the boy, “ Why—ywu company with his master in the violon, After | would not. believe what this man said of nie, a short. period had elapsed, just as I was | would you? I am sure I would not be- going to have a stretch before the fire, the | lieve what he might say of you |” donkey gave another dismal yell; and [ am “ I turned him out of the Passage des certain his master was the instigator of it, | Panoramas yesterday morning,” ‘said another more or less, for I heard them, asit were, | town-serjeant. “ He was looking in at a shop conversing with each other. Wecould not | window, doubtless to ascertain if he could bear this; and the corporal said to me, | not steal something.” ‘ Open the door and let them out, for thereis | “ Oh!” cried the boy: “ I just went to look no such thing as tolerating this noise here. I | in at a shop window to ascertain if they accordingly did open the door, and they | wanted an errand-boy or not, and up comes walked out in the most friendly way toge- | this man with a cocked-hat, and away I ther.” walked. I may use my legs at any rate, I The Commissary addressed himself to the | should suppose.” defendant, and directed him to make such | “ Certainly,” returned the Commissary. arrangements with his donkey as would | “ But these officers seem to say that you have enable him to pass through the streets in fu- | a very awkward way of using your hands.” ture withouf-luturbing. the eace or terrify- | “1 assure you, Monsieur,” returned the ing people of weak nerves by his apparent | prisoner, “ that I am a poor hard-working __ association with a place not to be named to | boy, and that I have had nothing to do oi ears polite. The defendant declared that his | for the last four years. I never put my band donkey was the most amiable being in ex- | in any one’s pocket but my own.” CE istence, and moreover asserted that the poor | |“ How came you with your hand m a gen- | dumb animal divided with his wife the sin- | tleman’s pocket last night, then?” asked the zerest affections of his heart. magistrate. * maith GONG pooks Goi