Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 89: what you’re looking at

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, met & 4 ° rt + , a ’ » > | & PIOKWICK ABROAD. — 77 girl etur him to the presence’) the courteous reply ; “and my friends’ 1 hon of he pre the place. == ~——j are Mr. Samuel Pickwick and Mr. Tracy [ versed the dining-room, Tupman.” : fancied that an alteration in the furniture, or it. He passed through the draw- nd began to suspect that there 3 some mistake; ane when he was shown oa little boudoir at the end of the suite, ubt yielded to conviction of error. But had gone too far to retreat; especially as, ‘. reglining upon.a sofa near the fire, and dressed ‘in the most bewitching deshabiller he had _ ever beheld, a lovely female form speedily "countenance, which was not that of Mrs. » Weston, was fascinating in the extreme; d ‘dhol dirk eyes, the vermilion lips, the pearly teeth, and the glossy hair were equally beautiful; add towhich a fine and glowing bust, and the reader will agree that these were charms which could not fail to attract the attention of a devoted admirer of the fair sex. — mis 3 “Madam—I beg par “quite confused,” began Mr. Winkle; and so indeed he was, if the young lady might judge by the blushes that suffused his cheeks. — i “Pray take seat, sare,” said the young lady in broken English, but in a most mel- lifluous tone of voice; “pray take seat— me glad that one accident procure me pleasure of your visit.” 3 There was no possibility of resisting this invitation: Mr. Winkle accordingly suffered himself to glide into a chair and his tongue into a compliment at the same time. ‘ “The fact is,” said Mr, Winkle, “ that I intended to call upon a Mrs. Weston, who vata used to ion this house—” “ Ah! interrupted the young lady; “one wen eae w 3 live cadecteiliionen, 8e- cond—lI know her by de sight vary well.” “T am however delighted that an accident should have procured me the pleasure of your acquaintance,” continued Mr, Winkle, his im- agination for the moment rebelling against the absent Arabella; and he proceeded to relate how he had been four months and a half in Paris, er liked the French capital much « —really I am better than the English one, and how he was living ith two friends in the Rue Royale “ And what your name, sare ?” inquired the young wrk who had listened attentively to all that Mr. Winkle had related to her. » “Nathaniel Winkle, at your service,” was rangement of it, had taken place since astonished glance. The | “Ah? exclaimed the young lady with a most bewitching smile—‘me hear your names before—you vary great men—Pick- wick very extraordinaire man, me under- stand.” | By he i “We have made some noise in the world,” said Mr. Winkle, again modestly blushing up to the eyes ; “but without the guidance o our great leader Pickwick, we might all have remained in obscurity up to the present mo- coe : | a “You then are ha ; you vary—v happy,” exclaimed ie yong lady wi eres ill-suppressed sigh. “Ah! me not do other- ise than envy yonr lot!” — Pt ee “What! are* not you happy also?” cried Mr. Winkle, glancing hastily round the rich- ly-furnished boudoir ; “it appears that you have every thing to conduce to your comfort ay luxury a moderate mind can wish or ” a. The young lady gazed on Mr. Winkle for a few moments; and the excellent-hearted Pickwickian was grieved at the melancholy which had suddenly overspread her beautiful countenance. , * “Do you believe in love at de first sight ?” inquired the young lady in an almost inaudi- ble voice, and after'a long pause. Mr. Winkle knew not how to reply, and» in trying to look remarkably wise, fell into the extreme, and looked as remarkably fool- ish. —_,. “But never mind,” contiahed the young lady, her countenance brightening up as sud- denly as it had been cast down; “me not intrude my griefs upon others—my breast only rhitiet contain them. When vary young, me espouse old man—old enough to be my fader ; me only sixteen then—and me not love old man whom parents force me to marry. He try and win my love—he not. succeed—he drown himself in despair!” “God bless me!” ejaculated Mr. Winkle, starting on his chair. ~ Fale ¢ drown himself—he tumble from bridge into de Seine,” continued the young lady, relapsing into a sentimental tone and manner, “and leaye me at one-and-twenty without protection—a widow, sare.” “ Distressing!” said Mr. Winkle, wiping __ ‘er away a couple of tears from his eyes. ; “Ah! that not all,” resumed the young lady ~ in the same lachrymose style ; “me ruinéd— me lose all—and me dependent on one old om (C@) ww « ¥ ‘ ‘ A ; " % » > Se ? ~ a DOO A 4 33 Pane ‘ + + fA <S im (c©@)