Pickwick Abroad: A Companion to the Pickwick Papers — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

ye! a 84 was again in the presence of her mistress. French chambermaids, if they think and act like Venus, are certainly Sylphide in their motions; and the principal noise they make is with their tongues. Otherwise they glide over polished oaken floors; and meander their way amongst chairs and _ tables, ‘as gently as fairies or spirits walking on the banks of the Serpentine. “Well? what is it ?? demanded Madame de l Amour, | _ The lady’s-maid pronounced the magic name of Tupman. “ What ? cried Madame de Amour, with an incredulous frown. The lady’s-maid re- peated the undying patronymic; and her mistress fell back upon the divan or sofa on which she was seated, when the terrified servant thought she had fallen into a fit. So indeed she had—and a yery long and obstinate one it was too; but being a fit of ‘aughter, no doubts were entertained as to an eventual recovery. This the lady’s- maid perceived; so she indulged in a re- spectful giggle, while Madame de Amour gave unbridled vent to her risibility.” - At the termination of about ten minutes, during which the fit lasted, Madame de Y Amour condescended to recover from the paroxysm and addressed her maid as fol- lows :— “ You will go into the drawing-room and say that Iam so particularly unwell it is impossible I can receive any one this morn- ing. ' But inquire the nature of his business and take care to make him wait till you have had time to acquaint me with it.” The lady’s-maid, who had left off laugh- ing precisely one second after her mistress, hastened to obey these orders; whereupon the ensuing agreeable conversation took place between herself and Mr, Tupman. » “Please. you, sare, Madame de l Amour so ill, she not able to see soul: she got in her legs—how you say dat ?” “The gout, I suppose,” suggested Mr. Tupman mildly. “Qh! no—no,” cried the lady’s-maid with{an arch smile, and tapping Mr. Tup- mat,3 arm with her fingers: “ me mean de rheumatique, you know.” “ Ah! the rheumatism—lI see,” exclaimed Mr. Tupman, making a motion as if he in- tended to kiss the young female with’ the pouting red lips. | “Dat what it 1s,” cried the said young PICKWICK ABROAD. 9 & “ The fact is,” began Mr. Tupman, serew- » O-* om ing his mouth up into a contortion that was intended to express admiration of his com- panion’s charms, but which in point of tele- »» graphic accuracy was a_ total failure; “your mistress told Mr. Winkle—a friend. ° of mine—yesterday afternoon, that she. was somewhat in want of a trifling advance for “ the purpose of—’ Ri, Sanh “ Ah! de lawsuit !” cried the lady’s-maid, with an ill-suppressed smile “ Kxactly,” returned Mr. Tupman, with a forced one; “and my friend Winkle has desired me call and leave the réquired sum.” At this crisis the front-door beil rang violently, and the young lady requested, Mr. Tupman’s patience for one moment. while she ran to answer the sonorous ap- peal. “ Mistress at home ?” demanded a loud voice, the tones of which were not entirely unfamiliar to Mr. Tupman’s ear. “Yes—but engaged,” was the abrupt reply tendered by the lady’s-maid. = “That be d——d!” emphatically ex- claimed the visitor. “So take care, and let mée™pass,” |. aenee * “ Impossible!” expostulated the domes- “Tt is, is 1t ?” coolly observed the other: “Now, I tell you what it is; my young hair- brushing, bed-warming, sugar-tongued hero- ine’ of the curling-tongs and ‘scent-bottle —if you were a man, I’d serve you as the thirteen Jews did Mr. Jemmy Mokhoff, the Siberian: youth; but as you are only a help- less female, Tl just walk by without. injur- ing you, as my friend Twankay, the Great Cham, used to say;’—and with these ‘words, the unceremonious gentleman strode ‘| coolly into the drawing-room, and disclosed to the wondering eyes of Mr. Tupman the form and face of Mr. Adolphus Crashem. » “Tupman, how are you?” cried that gentleman, when he had recovered from the momentary surprise into which this un- expected encounter had thrown him, : Mr. Tupman coldly replied that he was in a state of peculiar salubriousness. ~ “Made it up, I suppose, eh?” observed Mr. Crashem, with a knowing wink. “What?” said Mr. Tupman inquiringly. “Oh! I see—” cried Mr. Crashem, cor- recting himself “Come upon the same errand as myself, eh? ‘old’ fellow. Well—’ lady : “ but you tell me your businesss+and)| I shan’t: interfere with you, if you like to: me tell in return all you say to Madune,” | take them first, Galignand says in the ad- a ae Go DOG “S GO