Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 214: what you’re looking at

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198 * mainder of the night was passed without cn any farther dye of importance. At an early hour on the ensuing morning, the travellers rose, ordered the horses to be harnessed to, their carriage, and resumed their journey, with the imtention of break- fasting at Grandvilliers—a town only a few leagues distant from Beauvais, — eh * > « . an CHAPTER XL. Pickwick at home. Oop history is now drawing to a conclu- sion, and the pen of the faithful biographer will be shortly laid aside—at least forva season. We set out on our travels with Mr. Pickwick from the town of Calais, and we return home with him for the present as far as Dover. The morning was murky and dull when his foreign travels com- menced : the sun shone blythely and bright- ly to welcome his arrival once more in his native clime. If such be the welcome he received at the hands of that great lumi- nary on his landing at Dover, let us see what greeting awaits him at the Ship Ho- tel, whither he and his companions bent their way, with the hope of obtaining lun- PICKWICK ABR os j et va “My name is Pickwick,” answered our great hero. e % ' “How .singular!” cried. the turning to.the head-waiter. | “f Ver , answered that functionary, sur- veying his own white cotton stockings with great complacence, and Mr. Pears gal- ters with an air of contempt “ What is singular?” demanded Mr. Pic k- “My name, | add o with a smile, “is pretty well dale to the world.” 2 mia » “Pray, sir, are you any relation to the great Mr. ee the Mr. Pickwick ”” continued the lz ndlord. “T rayther think this is the Pickvick, ald feller,” interrupted D yr. Samuel Weller, who did not at all relish this i at Pan of © questions. “That's. Pickvick “Impossible!” cried the landlord, glane- ing towards the head-waiter. “ Impossible, Sir,” echoed the head-waiter, looking at his cotton-stockings. At this crisis, Mr. Samuel Weller stepped forward, and putting himself into a pugilis- tic attitude, threatened, m figurative lan- guage, to inflict concealment—or rather to bestow “a good hiding” upon any one who should dare to doubt. the identity of his master with the greatest traveller in the ‘« I'm Vel ij cheon and a post-chaise—the former to take | yniverse ‘ % nf oA a $ , , “ the cold out of their stomachs, and the lat-| « You need not get into a passion, young ter to take them to London. man,” said the landlord, hiding himself be- _As they entered the hall of the Ship Ho- | hind the head-waiter to escape one of another landlord, ‘ tel, landlord, waiters, and chambermaids description: “I do not doubt but that your rushed out to receive them, the prospect of | master isa very excellent man; though “as feeding six comely looking gentlemen (three for his being the Mr. Pickwick, you must ex- of whom were very fat and must eat to}euse me if I decline to believe it, inasmuch’ kee up their sleekness of condition, and | as th real traveller has been staying with the other three, being very thin, were con- | us for these last six weeks.” ge | Ms sequently compelled to do the same to pre- “And the best customer he is that we ever vent themselves from growing thinner)— | had,” cried the head-waiter. “ He never sits such a prospect we say, being a highly | down to dinner without chapel and gratifying one to all connected ‘with the | turtle-soup.” hotel. ay aie Mul ea _ “And he has promised to take : ne V » “Private rooms and luncheon immedi- | him to France in his new balloon, when it is - ’ da ately,” said Mr. Pickwick, surrendering his great coat to a waiter, his hat to a cham- bermaid, his umbrella to the “boots,” and his appetite to. the care of the landlord. “ Hadn't we better ask about the post- chaise at the same time, Pickwick ?” in- quired Mr. Tupman. _ “ What name did you say, sir ?” exclaim- |” ed the landlord: “beg pardon—sir—but | chamber-m _ will explain my motives for asking such a | can’t unders question.” ' Vears Re Baap eat sr butes,” cxied tha (ie . %y y » . ‘ <SEiGO ready,” exclaimed the chamber-maid. “He has only been waiting here for the arrival of a French government steam-b from Cherbourg to take him across,” adde the landlord. a | - “ He’s a prince in his ‘hexpenditur,” sald | the waiter. =» . | | | “Sich a nice young man,” simpered the 1 “Talks so fine, no one- \Ae AS is P . ? de ‘and him.” * GOmiGcboo