Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 47: what you’re looking at

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6 ‘tation to her residence was even slightly hinted at. ) | “Could I be permitted the honor of es- corting you,” said Mr. Tupman, with a very low bow, “as far as your house ?” “Me not give so much trouble, sare,” interrupted the young lady, casting down _uer beautiful eyes. fs Allow me, I beseech you, the honor, madam,” persisted Mr. Tupman; and the young lady, suffering her bashfulness to be overruled in this respect, yielded her arm to the polite Englishman, who beckoned Mr. Boozie to follow at a respectful distance. -“Has Monsieur long been at Paris?’ inquired the charming creature, as she walked up the gallery of the Palais Royal towards the Rue Vivienne, with her gallant chaperon. = F “Only a few days, madam,” returned Mr ~ Tupman; “but since I have now the honor ‘of being acquainted with—with—” “ Mademoiselle de Volage is my name, sare,” said the young lady. “My fader was one general to Napoleon: he have great many big wound—he die vary rich ten year go—and poor mamma lose near all her fortune in Revolution of July.” Mr. Tupman felt the arm of his fair com- nai tremble in his; and at the idea of er misfortunes—she, so young, so innocent, so tender, and so beautiful—the perspira- tion ran copiously down his extensive face, and a,deep sigh escaped from his capacious preaae to exemplify the sympathy he felt in the unprotected situation of Mademoi- selle de Volage. Such disinterested and noble conduct was not lost upen the charm- ing object of his solicitude; for his arm re- ceived an almost involuntary pressure—a pressure that gratitude wrests from modesty —from the fingers of the fair girl. The enactment of this little piece of tragedy occupied the time necessary to emerge from the Palais Royal, and enter the Rue Nueve des Petits Champs, in which the dwelling of Madame tne Marchioness de Volage was situate. It is true that the house itself had nothing in its exterior ap- pearance to recommend. it, and that the court-yard emitted various unpleasant smells of garlic, onions, stables, dc, at which Mr. ‘'upman’s nose was in great in- dignation ; but the sight of the well-turned ancle and graceful form of the young lady, as she lightly tripped up a narrow stair- W case on the right hand side of the porte cochere, recalled Mr. Tupman’s mind from he ; PICKWICK ABROAD. 39 ” mundane ideas to the more delicious dreams of love. He accordingly followed his fair guide as quickly as he could up the stairs, till they arrived at the sixth floor, while Mr, Boozie, with unprecedented complaisance, mounted guard in the street below, wonder- ing at the time “what the devil Tupman was up to,’ and trying to remember whether such an adventure had ever be- fallen himself. ) In the meantime, Mademoiselle de Volage rang at the bell of a suite of apartments on the sixth floor, aad the summons was im- mediately answered by an old lady of ahout fifty, tolerably well dressed, and adorned with am immense quantity of chains » and artificial flowers—the former round her neck, the latter in her head-dress. “Ah! my dear mamma,” said the young lady, speaking in English for the especial behoof of Mr. Tupman : “ what ! you answer ring, yourself! Where those lazy servants 3 where Lisette ? where Lafleur ?” “Gone for holiday,” replied the vener able dame, eyeiug the stranger askance. “ But, pray, come in—do--Sare.” fo Mr. 'Tupman accordingly followed his fair guide and her noble mother across a small ‘ante-chamber, into a drawing-room indiffer ently furnished. The mantel-piece was covered with an extraordinary quantity of frivolous and faded ornaments—a heap of. dingy ribands, half-finished purses, reticules just begun, &e., was congregated upon the table—and a frame for embroidery stood in one corner of the room. “ How beautiful is industry in young per- sons !” thought Mr. Tupman; and he sighed as he glanced at the lovely features of Mademoiselle de Volage, who was occupied in narrating, in her interesting ‘broken English, to her attentive mother, the kind- ness of Mr. Tupman relative to the hand- kerchief, “which she had dropped by one accident.” A renewal of thanks then en- sued ; a conversation, in which the attrac- tions of Paris were elaborately discussed, commenced in its turn; and Mr. Tupman was already drinking deep draughts from the intoxicating fountain of love, when the respectable Marchioness suddenly recollect- ed “that she had not given out the plate to be cleaned. for dinner at seven o’clock,” and left the room “only for one moment,” as she informed her daughter in a tolerably loud whisper. Mr. Tupman was now in Elysium itself. He twisted his features into a pleasing be HIGomicisoo <.S (c©) mm