Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 40: what you’re looking at

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tales: >, " wick. » 32 confounded fib, when I think of it—tisn’t at all comfortable. It looks on the front— and the carriages make sucha clattering, I only got ten—no, I didn’t, though—lI only managed to get two short naps all night.” “ How very provoking!” cried the good- natured Mr. Pickwick, swallowing a bum- per of claret. “And I can sleep anywhere almost—in the midst of disturbances of ev- ery kind—'tis all the same to me!” “Indeed!” cried Mr. Boozie. knew a man in the West {ndies—no, it wasn’t, though—I'm again telling a false- hood—’twas in the East In.ties, when I re- . collect—who slept while a whole regiment of English—of Native Infastry, I mean— walked over his body. Burt which is your room ?” 4 “The one behind yours,” answered Mr. Pickwick, who found it much more facile to swallow Meurice’s claret than Mr. Boozie’s “it looks upon the court-yard of the hotel.” OE ae a _“ How IT envy you!” ejaculated Mr. Boo- zie: © : , “I should be most happy to change,” ob- served Mr. Pickwick, emptying his glass, and summoning the waiter for another bot- tle, to the astonishment of Mr. Tupman, who already saw double, and the horror of Mr. Winkle, who fe'‘ a great inclination to deposit himself quietly under the table. “ Really, you are too good,” modestly re- marked Mr. Boozie: “but if it were not asking too maich——” “Oh! not at all,” interrupted Mr. Pick- “Say no more upon the subject: I will give orders to Sam, presently, to change our respective trunks, and only hope you will slumber well to-night in your new guarters.” | This matter being settled to the mutual satisfaction of the two parties principally interested in the arrangement, the bottle of wine that had been ordered was duly. dis- patched, and the conversation became as general as the exceedingly edifying remarks of Mr. Tupman and the incomprehensible articulations of Mr. Winkle would allow it to be. Mr. Crashem was amazingly talka- tive, and Mr, Tims endeavored to persuade. his new acquaintances to accompany him to an English tavern, where he would in- troduce them to a society of gentlemen, principally in the lace-weaving line, called “The Odd Fellows,” and would propose Mr. Pickwick as Chairman for the evening. But ‘this handsome and flattering invitation was PICKWICK ABROAD. “i “JT once - Mi & ‘ * ee ps ey gratefully declined by Mr. Pickwick, who, in the name of himself and followers, plead- ed fatigue as anexcuse. The party accord- ingly broke up at an early hour; Mr. Pick wick, Mr. Boozie, Mr. Tupman, and Mr. Winkle retiring to their respective couches, r while Mr. Crashem and Mr. Tims adjoumed _to the coffee-room to drink brandy and - ter, discuss cigars, and converse on matters the subject of which we shall not intrude upon the reader, | Now it happened that Messieurs Crashem and Tims drank a very considerable wyan- tito of Cognac, smoked a plurality uf in- different Havanas, and seemed to enter upon so excellent an understanding with each other, that, about midnight, when both were rather unsteady upon their pins, they mu- tually swore they would not retire to bed without having a “lark.” They accordingly debated in their own minds what species of “lark” should be adopted as the crowning incident of the evening ; and after a varie- ty of propositions and objections, it was unanimously resolved to “ toe old Boozie’— an agreeable and innocent amusement, con- sisting of the simple process of entering clandestinely into a man’s bed-room, tying a string round his great toe, and then pull- ing the said string with about the same force that one uses in ringing a front-door “Do you know his room, Sug—Crashem, I mean ?” inquired Mr. Tims, tossing off the remnant of his brandy and water. “Certainly,” responded the gentleman thns interrogated. “Come along— he’s sound asleep by this time—what a lark we'll have !” “ Won't we ?” echoed Mr. Tims; and with these indications of their extreme satisfac- tion, they ascended the staircase together, provided themselves with a long piece of whip-cord. in Mr. Crashem’s chamber, and then proceeded on tip-toe to the front room, where Mr. Boozie was supposed to be slcep- ing. The door was not locked—they ac- cordingly entered with stealthy steps—and by Mr. Tims succeeded in affixing one end ot the string to one of the toes of the individ- ual who occupied the bed, without awaken- ing the intended victim. They then quietly ‘retreated from the apartment, and closed the door with the utmost precaution, while the cord, which passed underneath, was safely retained in the grasp of the facetious Mr. Tims. ) “Now for it,” whispered Mr. Orashem 4 s s CONnNIEDOOKS (E(0)