Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

and Mr. Tims gave an energetic pull at the _ string, which effectually aroused the individ- ‘ ual to whose foot it was attached ; so much go, that violent cries issued from the room, and threatened to alarm the whole hotel. Messieurs Crashem and Tims precipitated themselves into the chamber occupied by the former gentleman; and Mr. Tupmian, aroused by the noise, leapt from his bed _ and rushed into the passage, erying “Fire !” with all his might. Mr. Winkle awoke in his turn, and ran out of his room, request- ing to be informed what was the matter ; when hie foot caught in a noose, and he fell gracefully and airily on his nose, while the - sereams and shrieks from the front bed- - room redoubled. — “ Heavens! what is the matter, gentle- men?” exclaimed Mr. Adolphus Crashem, suddenly issuing from his apartment, with & countenance expressive of the most sig- : peng just as Mr. Boozie emanated r om the very chamber of which the cause of this disturbance had fondly deemed Mr. Pickwick to be the proprietor, - ; “Treason! robbers! thieves!” shouted Mr. Winkle, in vain endeavoring to disen- gage himself from the mysterious cord that had entangled itself round his legs. _ At this crisis, the door of the front bed- chamber was thrown hastily open, and Mr. Pickwick limped forth uttering most pite- ous sounds of complaint. ‘To the immortal honor of Mr, Crashem be it noted, that even to the prejudice of his own “ lark” did he iypemately rush forward, trip Mr. Pick- wick lightly up in the passage, and cut the cord which surrounded the dexter great toe of that illustrious man. By some strange coincidence, as Mr, Tupman has since declared, Mr. Tims suddenly appeared amongst the confused group, and Mr. Win- kle was raised on his legs in the twinkling of an eye. «Very extraordinary conduct, this !” ex- claimed Mr. Pickwick in the deepest indig- nation. | ‘ , _ “Tnfamous!” shouted Mr. Adolphus Crashem. “If this be the way in which the French treat true-born Englishmen, we'll soon show them what we are ;’—and e immediately assumed a pugilistic atti- tude, to the great dismay of Mr. Winkle, who retreated quietly to his bed-room. “ Let’s give them a deuced good licking, Sug—Crashem, I mean,” cried Mr. Tims, - elevating his fists in imitation of his com- panion ; whereupon Mr. Tupman declared ¥, ” i es ? . . , 7 | é . ov ee o TR, ae — a ae. ee ) , " ‘PICKWICK ABROAD, | 33 he would come back and help them ; but he geropably forgot to’ tender his pledged assistance, as he also returned to his apart- ment, and buried himself underneath the bed clothes for fhe remainder of the night. “Very singular!” again ejaculated Mr Pickwick, who was standing in a musing attitude, which was rendered the more in- teresting and remarkable from the circum- stance of his being in his night-shirt.. “T once knew a man, said Mr. Boozie— “no, it wasn’t—she was a woman—” “Neyer mind, Sir, what you recollect, or what you knew,” exclaimed Mr. Pick- wick, sternly interrupting the discomfited Mr. Boozie; “ but pray let us see, Sir, if you can point out the authors of this most in- decent outrage—an outrage, Sir—” “Not I!” murmured Mr. Boozie; and with these words he imitated the pruden- tial example of Messieurs Tupman and Winkle, and slunk back to his apartment, just as M. Cailliez and a host of waiters made their appearance in the passage. The disturbance now became general. The master of the hotel accused his tenants of creating an unseemly and ungentlemanly noise, to the disrepute and ruin of the re- spectability of the house. Mr. Pickwick in vain endeayored to narrate the injuries he had sustained ; Mr. Tims called for the Po- lice; and Mr. Crashem kindly offered to fight any half-dozen Frenchmen who chose to step forward. At this crisis a new and not unimportant actor arrived upon the stage, in the shape and guise of Mr. Sam- uel Weller, who like the rest, had been dis- turbed by the noise which issued from the apartments occupied by his revered mas- ter and that master’s friends. Mr. Pickwick was endeavoring to ex- plain the nature of the insult he had re- ceived, just at the moment when Mr, Wel- ler made his appearance in his breeches and striped waistcoat; and a vague notion of some received wrong was thus conveyed to the mind of that faithful domestic, to whom it did not for one moment occur that any body but Frenchmen could have been the authors of the offence. Without listen- ing to the merits or particulars of the case, Mr. Weller immediately communicated a violent impetus, in the shape of a hard blow, to the body of M. Cailliez; and while that gentleman was in the act of falling over a few of his dependants, Mr. Crashem vio- lently rushed forward, and followed up the advantage already gained by Mr. Weller, EOMMICLOO® SS) (S©) im