Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 200: what you’re looking at

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184 “There is one thing in which I envy you your return to England,” said Mr. Chitty to Mr. Winkle. “What is that?’ was the very natural fuestion. “hs “The heavy wet—grave humidum,” re- turned Mr. Chitty. ‘ Nothing I like so “much as dimidium et dimidium.” “As what ?” said Mr. Pickwick, who had overheard this portion of the discourse. “ As half-and-half,” replied Mr. Chitty. “ Half-and-half!” exclaimed Mr. Scuttle ; | “well—so it is, I declare! I have been filling my claret up with sherry for the last _ ten minutes, and should not have perceived it, had there been any more wine in either of the bottles !” **M. Dumont,” said Mr. Pickwick, as soon as a pause in the conversati 1 enabled him to address a few words to the good-hearted Gendarme; “ this is the last time we shall tax your kindness (in Paris at least) for one of your excellent tales. You have often gratified us before, and be assured that should accident or inclination again lead you to England, no man will be more wel- come at my house—and I can say the same for my three friends—than yourself !” “And never shall I forget the kindness I have experienced at your hospitable board,” “Tf all Englishmen be as cried Dumont. generous and open-hearted as yourselves, I have no doubt but that there exists, in the breasts of both French and English, the _ «germ of a lasting peace and union between the two greatest nations in the universe. United, they can defy the world—repress ‘the arrogance and encroachments of Rus- sia—and maintain peace in Europe: sepa- ‘rated, they can only retard the progress of civilization and liberty, by the violence of ‘disastrous and useless war.” ‘The “bravos!” and “hurrahs!? which ‘followed these observations, having sub- sided, M. Dumont related the following tale, in obedience to the wishes of all pre- sent. ~ CHAPTER XXXVII. THE TOWER OF ST. JACQUES.—A TALE, "Tne chiffonnier.—Visits to the old tower.—Myste- ry upon mystery.—The tall stranger.—The dis- closure. y Tux fine.old tower of Saint Jacques-la- PICKWICK ABROAD. 2 | Boucherie stands, divested of the chufth to which it was once attached, as a proud ri- val to the two gigantic structures of Notre Dame. It is about one hundred and sev- | enty feet in height ; and the width of each of its sides, it being a perfect square, is thirty-six feet. The foundations were laid in the year 1508; and the old tower still stands to mock the ravages of time, and illustrate the architectural taste of those who lived three centuries ago. _ a In 1828 this tower was unoccupied, Some individuals, who had used it as a shot-manufactory, had left it, and for a few weeks it remained unused by the artizans. It is now again tenanted by shot-founders ; but it was during the interval alluded to that the particulars, which I am about to relate, occurred. rt _ I was one night passing along the street where the entrance of the old tower is sit- uate, when violent shrieks and screams, evidently emanating from a female, fell upon my ears. I listened—and the cries seemed to proceed from a height above my head. At length I felt convinced that they came from the tower. I accordingly knock- ed loudly at the gate, but no one answered the summons. I tried the latch—it yielded to my touch ; and, guided only by the light of a lovely moon, which penetrated through the large casements of the building, I groped my way to a narrow staircase, up which I mounted without allowing myself to re even fora moment. The screams still con- tinued—but less violently than before ; and when I reached the first landing-place, they suddenly ceased altogether. | Guided, however, by the direction whence they appeared to emanate, I ascended an- other flight of steps, and arrived at a door which was ajar. I was now on a level with the second windows, and the beams of the moon streamed brightly into the apartment to which this door admitted me. Betopped for a moment and listened; the cries had” totally ceased; but a noise, as of a man asleep, fell upon my ears. I listened more attentively still—and this time I was not deceived. Some one was breathing hard © in my immediate vicinity. I advanced cautiously ; the rays of the moon entered the apartment by the top of the window, and fell obliquely across the bottom of the wall on the other side. The floor was con- sequently involyed in almost total dark- ness. Suddenly I stumbled over some- thing, and fell upon a human body. ~ wy IDnOOKSEEO (9) (C(O)