Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

*, 188 a, we iP not a Hints head appended to a nail in the recess. There was certainly a large nail— but nothing more to excite my curiosity, Could the circumstance of the cold face have been alsoa delusion? thought I, as I proceed- ed to the office of the Conimissary of Police to report what I have just related, and ascer- tain whether the advertisements, which had been inserted in the journals, relative to the discovery of the eary ing, had met with any reply. My visit to the magistrate was unsatisfac- tory, so far as it regarded my own curiosity ; and wearied by my night’s work and tedious vigil, I repaired to my lodgings, in the Fau- bourg Saint Antoine, to snatch a few hours of necessary repose. -Attwo o'clock I arose, and, being oppressed with a partial head- ache, determined upon taking a long walk to endeavor to dissipate it. [ accor dingly set out from the Place de la Bastille to stroll round the Boulevards as far as the Madeleine. I was lounging slowly along the Boulevard du Temple, when the figures of two individuals who were walking in front of me, and engaged in earnest: conver rsation, suddenly attracted my closest attention. mistake as to the identity of those persons —one of whom was the chiffonnier, in the same attire which he had worn at the gaming- house; and the other was the tall stra anger of the door leading to the top of the tower of Saint J acques-la-Boucheri le. Keeping a pro- per distance, I resolved to watch them nar- rowly ; and I was not sorry to observe that they turned into one of the bye-streets lead- ing from the Boulevard du. Temple into the Marais, They stopped beneath the gate-way of a house, and there resumed their earnest conversation, in the course of which the fonnier put his hand into his pock drew forth a mask, which his companion in- spected for a moment, and then broke into a thousand pieces, laughing heartily at the same time. In a few minutes they were jomed by a third person, whom—to my as- tonishment and dismay—lI instantly recog- nised to be Versac, the town-serjeant, whose mysterious disappear ance had so much as- tonished me. They then all three proceeded to an ob- secure restaurant in the Rue Charlot, and re- quested to be shown into a private room. The moment they were installed in a parlor, I desired the waiter to conduct me to the one adjoining, slipping a couple of five-franc pieces into his hands at the same time. By There ‘could be no PICK WICK ABROAD «© ? the bye, I forgot to observe that, not. being on duty at the time, I was in plain clothes. As Thad anticipated, the partition between the rooms was so thin, that I could hear all which was taking place i in the next, cham- ber; and having skilfully perforated a small hole with a pen-knife, I could also indulge | my visual curiosity as well ap that of my ~ ears. “ Am I not punctual | ? said Vonhe ds, “To a minute,” answered the tall stran- ger; “and now I will pay you the reward of your secrec “J think that such a knock on the head as I got upon the old tower, well deserves five thousand francs,” obser ved V ersac. “ And double that sum if I secure the aid and her fortune,’ said the tall str anger. “Thanks to my excellent! Lapierre here—” _“ The chiffonnier! ah! ah!” shouted the ‘individual, who now laughéd at the title ‘which he had assumed—doubtless to cheat me. “ Here are five thousand amen my Rica 4 said the tall stranger, handing over several bank-notes to Versac. “ And now—remem ber our compact ; leave Paris—and if I mar ry the girl—” “ You will forward me the remainder ‘o whatever place I may select, as my wes dence,” added Versac. — whom I had caught a hasty glimpse behind | “ Certamly,” replied the tall intiividdl- “ and in after life, any favor that ee grant you shall be readily ac ccorded.” “ | shall not weary your patience eh my demands,” observed Versac; “ for’ I am an honest man in my ‘way ; and you must con- fess that it was a long time before you could persuade me to agree to your terms, when I recovered from my swoon and found myself in that accursed bole.” “Oh! I will give you all due credit for keeping your wora,” said the tall stranger. “ It was the condition upon which you let me out of that horrid place” returned Ver- sac. mt wonder what the poor creatures are doing now,” said the individual, who had per sonated the chiffonnier, witha Joud laugh, “They may ery themselves hoarse there, and no one will answer them!” I waited to hear no more. The idea that there were probably some of my fellow-crea- {wes immured within the walls of the old tower, decided me how t act ; and then for the first time, I recollected that the cellars had never been searched. These subterra- beous places, by an unaccountable oversight, GOMIGDoOo (9) (C(O)