Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 93: what you’re looking at

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PICKWICK ABROAD. -*s s _ .go and scribble about nations vith vich they isa little wexed.” | , “Precisely so,’ coincided Mr. Winkle ; but you will have some difficulty, Sam, to ‘ make the English believe that foreign in- * stitutions are better than their’ own.” f _ “Vell, sir,” responded Mr. Weller, with 2erd say that the French army is the best. disciplined in the vorld, and they don’t flog the sogers in France, Vot does that . ere prove? Vy,,that some o’ our abuses at home vant rectifyin’, as the husband said to his vife ven he gived her the black eye. . —-But I hear the governor a-askin’ if the _ dinner ain’t ready—so look alive, gen’le- The dinner was duly served up to the three gentlemen, and as speedily served round to each, a neyer-failing appetite and Mr. Weller being in attendance. But scarce-. ly was the soup removed from. the table, and its place supplied by a fine piece of Rouen salmon—scarcely had the last drop of a glass” of utounayts choicest nectar trembled upon the lip of Mr. Pickwick— and scarcely had Mr. man poured ditto. into his glass, and ditto repeated down his throat, when a tremendous peal at the front door bell announced the arrival of some peu guest. Mr. Winkle started and turned deadly pale—Mr. Tupman played. with his watch-chain—and Mr. Pickwick , b re his knife and fork; but the suspense of the three was not of long duration ; and ‘their doubts were speedily removed by the appearance of two individuals in whom it was not difficult to recognise Mr. Lipman and Mr. Jopling, although the former had eschewed for the moment his large wooden pipe, and the latter had declined farther partnership with his old and staunch friend, the faded silk dressing-gown. “How are you, my boys?” exclaimed Mr, Lipman, shaking hands with the Pick- i a one after another; “pretty tidy, “Doesn’t Pickwick look lusty, though ?” cried Mr. Jopling, appealing to his friend, and indicating the great man by a facetious poke in the ribs.. “But don’t let us disturb you at dinner,” considerately added the late inmate of Ste. Pelagie. “Thank you,’ said Mr. Pickwick, resum- ing his seat; “we shan’t stand upon any ceremony with you. But perhaps you would joinus? | Peeps they would, indeed ; especially Wa ost mysterious shake of the head, “ I’ve. held S ‘ ‘ > * a.” 81 ~$a as, having vainly sought.a dinner elsewhere, these two highly respectable but lately persecuted gentlemen had sought Mr. Pick- wick’s abode with the firm intention ox satisfying the cravings of nature in this res- pect. They accordingly seated themselves at the table; and while, with becoming de- corum, they averred that they had already dined, and would only just “ pic! + 1 bit” for the sake of society and doing as the others did, they speedily caused the Rouen salmon to disappear from the dish, even to the very tail which Mr. Pickwick had_ in- tended to have pickled for next day’s lun- cheon. , ' é “Well, I don’t think we’ve done badly with that, Jopling,” observed Mr. Lipman, pushing away his plate; “do you ?” * Mr. Jopling declared that he did not, and Mr. Pickwick was of the same opinion, © as, indeed, were also Mr. Tupman and Mr. Winkle ; and this unanimity of sentiment | may be considered as singularly corrobor- ative of the truth of Mr, Lipman’s asser- tion. | oe. “T am glad to perceive that you have : your late abode, gentlemen,” said Myr. ickwick, after a pause, during which Mr. Jopling had filled and emptied his glass three times, , “Well, it isn’t amiss, old chap,” respect- — fully observed Mr. Lipman to the venerated traveller. “Jopling’s father came down with the rhino—” . “Ah!” said Mr. Pickwick complacently ; “Tsee—he sold an estate situate upon that river, Did it fetch much ?” ‘Mr. Lipman merely replied by an allu- sion to a gentleman of the name of Cheeks, and to another whose patronymic seemed to be Hookey ; while Mr. Jopling achieved a lone and undisturbed stare at Mr. Pick- wick, The two visitors then precipitated themselves, with the avidity that might be expected from a party of gentlemen just arrived from the islands of the Pacific Ocean, upon the course which Mr. Weller and a large tray introduced at this crisis, and the conversation was only resumed at short in- tervals, by way of relieving the monoto- tw nous, but evidently agreeable; operation of eating. , The remaining portion of the dinner was produced and done justice to in the same manner ; and with the dessert came punch and cigars, the discussion of which put Mr. | Re Lipman into so exquisite a humor, that he 9 insisted tpcn singing a very genteel song ay COMICHOOKSgConn ¥