Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD. 137 ‘* Decidedly,’’ exclaimed that gentleman, as he raised a glass of claret to his lips and imbibed the contents: “I shall have much pleasure In accompanying you. It is a most remarkable zéem in the component parts of my system to visit the theatres as often as possible.” ‘Is the opera far trom here?’’ enquired Mr. Tupman, already en- chanted with the idea of gazing upon the fair countenances and be- witching forms of the Parisian ladies. ““Oh! no,” returned Mr. Walker, ‘‘ Rue Lepelletier—not a quarter of an hour’s drive from the hotel.” | ‘‘ And do you go drest ?”’ asked Mr. Tupman, thinking of. his ker- seymere tights and dress coat lined with white silk. ‘‘ Just as you are—it is only the actresses that are half naked,” answered Mr. Hook Walker. ‘“And are the operas themselves very splendid?” enquired Mr. Winkle, by way of saying something, for he wisely thought silence to be the very representative of stupidity. ‘So splendid,’”’ said Mr. Walker, ‘‘ that it very often costs the manager upwards of five or six thousand pounds to bring out one opera, without taking into consideration the after expenses to be in- curred ; for, according to the French laws, the author and composer receive twenty pounds a night between them for each time that their piece is- represented at the Royal Academy of Music.” ‘ They are well paid, then, I should think,” suggested Mr. Pick- wick, who had just been wondering whether there were any murders and robberies in the French operas. *‘ You may say that,” exclaimed Mr. Walker with a smile, “if you like. For Robert le Diable, Meyerbeer received from the director of the Opera-house no less than fifteen hundred and eighty pounds sterling for having composed the music; and Scribe, the author of the poem, was paid a similar sum. They then both sold their copyrights to their publishers, and were again largely remunerated; and every time the opera is performed in any theatre in France, they receive ten pounds each. This is indeed a lucrative system.” Mr. Tupman thought that it was certainly a little better than Mr. Walker’s; but he did not embody his opinions in words. Mr. Pick- wick sought for farther information relative to the French stage; and as Mr. Walker was fully capable of giving it, the note-book received many considerable additions in the shape of memoranda on the following morning. ‘© T wonder how the director or manager of the opera can make it answer,’’ said Mr, Pickwick, “‘ if he’s obliged to pay so dearly for his actorsand actresses as well as for his authors.” ‘“‘ Nor more he could,” explamed Mr. Walker. ‘‘ But as the Royal Academy of Music is a sort of national institution—more or less—the government allows the lessee a million of francs—or forty thousand un annum, for the support of the house.’’* ‘6 God bless me!”’ said Mr. Pickwick, pouring out a bumper in the excitement caused by this information, and swallowing both at abont the same peri The dinner and the time had passed away so agreeably during the above conversation, that scarcely had the dessert and champagne made ® Facts. a S = a JOO .S (c@)