Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

L wa . a) * . ¥ . - ¥ a oe . . , “ &. " ¢ of 4 ¥ | | : _ “CHAPTER X. Mr. Tracy Tupman forms an acquaintance with a systematic gentleman often quoted in modern times, but neyer before intr duced to the reader in any publication.—The soiree and its conse- quences. Bi oe Ay In the meantime, what were the exploits of the gallant Tracy Tupman? Reduced .” to the very Mey bens tery, by what he dee =the wi } leader, Mr. Tupman rushed precipitately from his’ presence, as before stated, and ied into the street with that recklessness whither he was going, which all men in such situations deem it necessary to assume or feel. , “O Pickwick!” said Mr. Tupman, as he the unhandsome—th - shameful walked along the Rue de Rivoli; “and is -. Such were Mr. Tupman’s re 5 it come to this? Must the world, with its usual scandal, falsely represerit the cause of our separation? Shall the chroniclers of our respective histories be left vainly to speculate on the springs of this, the most important event in our mutual lives? and what can we say to Snodgrass—to Winkle —to Crashem—and to Boozie? Inwriting to the one, and conversin With the. others, what excuse must we make for an alienation as untoward as it is distressing ” and to this extreme pitch of misery had he just arrived, when it struck him that, if Mr. Pickwick were capable of dining after so lamentable an occurrence, there was no reall in the world why he himself should starve. No sooner had this light of intelli- gence dawned in upon his brain, than a second ray, no less luminous than its pre- cursor, immediately darted through his mind, and recalled to memory the exist- ence of certain eating-houses—in the Pa- dais Royal. Thither did’Mr. Tupman forth- with repair, sighing at every step, and having totally eschewed the jaunty airs he had so successfully adopted in the morn- ing. He did not, however, forget his ap- pointment for half-past nine ; and his bosom felt a partial relief when he reflected on the agreeableness. of the evening he was des- tined to pass. pays But a lengthy train of reflections and a quick pace invariably carry us at last to some point or another ; and on this occasion, these two agencies conducted Mr. Tupman in safety to the very identical gallery of the alais Royal where his visual organs had , .. “PIOKWICK ABROAD. K ABI ardohable conduct of his great Cd ° ~ flections— . T should —_ » i first detected. the presence of youthful beauty in the morning. There were a great many brilliantly lighted cafes—but Mr. Tupman knew not Which to mou: Like the ass placed betwixt two bundles of hay, he was likely to starve in the midst of plenty, from the mere fact of bemg unable to decide between a number of imposing candidates for his favors. .. : In this state of uncertainty, a good genius ‘fortunately came to Mr. Tupman’s aid, in the guise of a short English gentleman of about fifty, who was puffing a cigar most courageously as he walked along the mag- nificent colonnade. “Pray, sir, can you inform me which is the best place to dine at, here?” inquired Mr. Tupman, convinced that the short gen- tleman was a native of Britain Trom the circumstance of his having very audibly condemned to the lower regions, and in no — very equivocal terms, a smallfboy who had just run against him. “I can, sir,” replied the short gentleman, eyeing Mr. Tupman from top to toe. “A stranger in Paris, I presume, sir ?” “Quite,” answered Mr. Tupman. “Do you wish to do the thing slap up, or merely grub on an economical system ?” de- manded the short gentleman. | “Oh!” said Mr. Tupman, hesitating ; “it’s quite immaterial, I assure you.” “ Decide, sir,” cried the short gentleman laconically. “ Well—I don’t care, then, if I have a good dinner,” returned the Pickwickian. “That's also a part of my system,” ob- served the stranger, with a smile. “ Do you wish for company ?” “TI certainly dislike Mr. Tupman. ) “My system again,” cried the short gen- tleman; “so here goes ;’—and with these dining alone,” replied . ab ‘s words, he took Mr. Tupman’s arm, threw away his cigar, and hastened towards Very’s celebrated restaurant, without uttering an- other syllable; so that Mr. Tupman began to imagine that silence was a part of his new friend’s system, also. “You take soup, of course ?’’ said the stranger, when he and Mr. Tupman were comfortably seated at one of the nice little tables in the public room at Very’s. “ Gar- con, soupe a la julienne pour deux !—What wine do you like ?” ete hy ve no choice, Tassure you. Indeea, cater for me, as you appear to be so much An (SO) be better pleased if you would | LOO) ‘ . e vy SAGO