Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 61: what you’re looking at

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4 Walker, speaking with an unusual Name “‘this matter may be very pleasantly ar- ranged. Tracy Tupman has given me a din- ner ; and on another oecasion Hook Walker ' will give him one” ‘This, indeed, is a part’ of my system.” Mr. Tupman made a slight grimace, re- turned the equivocal-looking paper to his’ _ waistcoat pocket, and muttered something about being “ very happy,” &c., while, in re- ality, he felt and looked any thing but satis- fied with this portion of his new acquain- tance’s systematic behavior. His counte- » nance, however, cleared up when Mr. Pick- _ wick entered the room ; and an introduction was speedily effected between that gentle- man and Mr. Hook Walker. “Fine morning, sir,” said Mr. Pickwick, with a benignant smile; for this was the truly original and ingenuous manner in which that extraordinary individual invariably com- menced a conversation, with an occasional variation of terms, substituted as circum- stances might demand. Mr, Walker never compromised the recti- tude of his system by the utterance of an untruth, as he informed Mr. Pickwick; so before he answered the above observation, he took a good long stare at the snow through the windows which looked into the Rue de Rivoli. Mr. Walker then bade Mr. Pickwick and Mr, Tope a temporary adieu, and depart- ed, while the two friends exchanged a few hasty observations, and Mr. Tupman gave a short, but correct account, of his adventures of the preceding day ; after which they sought thew sitting-apartment, where Messieurs Boozie and Winkle were already waiting for them to commence breakfast. CHAPTER XI. An evening at the Ambassador’s.—A deadly feud, in which Mr. Pickwick is unexpectedly involved. A considerable number of representa- tives of “ Old England” embellished the crowded drawing-rooms at the hotel inha- bited by Lord Pompus in the Faubourg St. Honore. This mansion, over the gateway of which are the arms of England, surpass- es the residence of all the other ambassa- dors, at the French Court. It was about half-past nine o’clock when Mr. Pickwick, in a pair of black kerseymere tights and flesh- PICKWICK ABI od colored silk stockings, and attended by Mr. Tupman, Mr. Winkle and Mr. Boozie, was ush- ered into the ed of his Britannic Majes- ty’s Ambassador, at the court of the Citizen King of the French. Lord Pompus was a stout, aristocratic- looking individual, with a double chin, a flowered-silk waistcoat, a large gold watch- chain, and an old-fashioned snuff-box. Add to these appurtenances, a wife in a sky-blue satin robe, and two or three obsequious aé- taches, and that portion of the picture is | complete. His lordship, having heard the name of Mr. Pickwick shouted out by two or three servants stationed on the staircase, conde- scended to step forward and acknowledgethe bows with which that gentleman and his companions announced their presence in the drawing+oom. Mr. Pickwick was quite overcome by this remarkable instance of hu- mility on the part. of Lord Pompus: and, with the meritorious intention of displaying his full consciousness of it, he seized his lordship’s hand and wrung it with all the friendly warmth usually displayed by Eng- lishmen on such occasions. The ambassa- dor withdrew his fingers somewhat hastily from the too cordial grasp: and having be- stowed a ceremonious bow upon Mr. Pick- wick’s followers, hastily withdrew to another ye of the room, much to the annoyance of | Boozie, who had already begun*to recol- lect that it was not in the East Indies, but in | Canada, that he had once seen his lordshi oa ‘some turtle-soup in a pastry-cook’s op. «How very agreeable this is,” observed Mr. Winkle to his respected leader, who in vain endeavored to get out of the draught at the drawing-room door. “« Very,” returned Mr. Pickwick, receiving at the moment the whole weight of a fat Englishman upo nhis toe. “TI beg your pardon, Sir,” said the fat gentleman, “ but I am so remarkably ab- sent.” “Ah |” said Mr. Pickwick, feeling the weight of the apology. “ Yes, indeed,” replied the stranger, evin- cing a desire to become acquainted with our several heroes: “it was only this morning that I wiped my face with the newspaper, sate down to read the towel, and only dis- covered my mistake when the waiter came up to ask if I could spare Galignani, as another gentleman wanted it. “ Extraordinary !” observed Mr. Pickwick, CoOnmicaae o1 eS (CO) mn