Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

* PICKWICK ABROAD. | 58 . mare. I shall therefore say ‘Good | gather up his clothes and decamp to his own night.’” — | “Good night,” echoed the Pickwickians and Mr. Boozie. ~“ Good night,’ cried Mr. Scuttle ; and the absent gentleman disappeared in the ‘com pany of a flat candlestick. 3 A slight supper of about a dozen hot dishes and a bottle of brandy, with hot water and sugar, were speedily prepared for the hungry travellers; and at a very late hour they sought each his i cbt chamber. But what was Mr. Pickwick’s astonishment, when, just as he was about to step into bed, he discovered another tenant in that delicious abode; and, on further in- se. became aware of the pleasing act, that the absent gentleman was fast asleep between the identical sheets to which he was about to consign his own illustrious ane ! Mr. Pickwick started back in silent horror, and glanced hastily round the room, when other equally agreeable objects met his view. tye absent man had swept up the ashes in the grate with Mr. Pickwick’s hair-brush—he had stopped up a broken window with a pair of Mr. Pickwick’s tights —he had filled Mr. Pickwick’s best hat with water, and stood his rush-light in it—and lastly, he had put out the wax-candle with Mr. Pickwick’s night-cap. Human nature could not endure this com- ere of injuries. It seemed that Mr. ickwick was destined never to enjoy an un- interrupted night’s rest in the Hotel Meurice. Philanthropy—leniency—mercy—all were forgotten : Mr. Pickwick tucked up his shirt sleeves with the utmost haste, and forthwith commenced so desperate an attack on the ribs of the absent gentleman, that sleep soon forsook his eyes, and fancying himself a prize- fighter, he jumped manfully out of bed, and returned, with compound interest, the favors Mr. Pickwick was so liberally and profusely bestowing on him. In all probability the desperate conflict would have been continued half-an-hour long- er, had not Mr. Boozie suddenly rushed into the room—for Messiews Tupman and Win- kle prudently acted as listeners instead of operators—and separated the combatants, for which unthankful act of kindness Mr, Pickwick would have pitched into him also, had not exhaustion compelled that extraor- dinary man, whose exploits in war are as re- markable as his proceedings in matters of peace, to sink intoa chair, Mr. Scuttle took advantage of this cessation of hostilities, to chamber ; and Mr. Boozie, having wished his friend a good night’s rest, also retired to his apartment, while Mr. Pickwick remained alone, and upon the chair, gazing witha species of grim satisfaction on the objects around, like Marius sitting amongst. the ru- ins of Carthage. | . CHAPTER XII Mr. Weller’s opinion of Mr. Adolphus Crashem.— A. communication from M. Dumont.—French Politeness. In the meantime, Mr. Weller had amused himself, in imitation of the example so laud- ably set him by his venerated master. He had. presided at a Pork-chop Club, over an exclusive and fashionable party of English gentlemen, who, for the most part, were em- bellished with ten days’ shirts, and stockings of a like antiquity ; and as the meeting was held at a select tavern, the domestic econo- my and glorious uncleanliness of which were subjected to the dominion of a drunken Irish landlord, there had been no want of license in the use of the “ creature.” It is not, there- fore, astonishing if Mr. Weller were some- what late in his diurnal, or rather matinal visit, to his master’s room on the morning that immediately followed the events so faithfully detailed in the preceding chapter. “What's o’clock, Sam?” inquired Mr. Pickwick. “Ten, sir,” repuied that gentleman, laconi- cally. “Ten |” exclaimed Mr. Pickwick, sitting up in his bed: “ you don’t mean to say so.” _“T vosn’t aweer that you'd any wery par- ticular bisness to transact this mornin’, sir,” said Mr. Weller, “or I'd ha’ called you afore. The fact is, sir, I pre-sided at a wery gen- teel swarry last evening; and I rally don’t know how it were, but either the liquor vosn’t wery ¥eak, or my head wery strong, and so—” “ And so you were rather tipsy, Sam,” said Mr. Pickwick, coming to his dependant’s aid with the kindness of disposition that so essen- tially characterized all his trivial as well as his important deeds. “ Rayther, sir,” returned Mr. Weller. “But him as okkipies the cheer at them public meetin’s is abv obligated to drink more than the rest; and that’s comin’ it a Little too strong, as the ‘ooman remarked ven the doctor offered her the seventeenth pill in the course of the hour.” CoOnmicaae cS (S©) mn