Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 295: what you’re looking at

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

PACKWICK ABEOAD. 245 direction. Thesystematic gentleman embellished on this especial occa- sion a new suit of clothes, having prudently obtained an introduction to Mr. Pickwick’s Parisian tailor, whose name was Mignot, and whose abode was and is in the Rue de Rivoli. He therefore threw no small degree of pretension into his gait and manners, as he conducted his philan- thropic companion to the Hotel Mirabeau in the Rue de la Paix. ‘“‘It is a most singular Egyptian vase, that I wish to show you,” cried Mr. Hook Walker, when he had introduced Mr. Pickwick into his apartment in the aforesaid hotel. ‘A part of my system has always been to collect precious relics of antiquity ; and there is every reason to believe that this vase has seen many centuries.” Mr. Walker accordingly produced an old mushroom-pickle bottle or jar, which he had bought with the condiments it contained some weeks previously, and which is of a very peculiar shape and colour in rance. Mr. Pickwick received it with great respect, turned it over and over in his hands, and eyed it with a species of reverence that would have excited the risible muscles of any one save the systematic Mr. Walker. “Very singular,’ said Mr. Pickwick, with that felicity of perception which made him what he was: ‘“‘I wonder in whose time this was fabricated!" . ‘* In the time of Pharaoh, I should think,” urged Mr. Walker, who for the last few minutes had been busily engaged in extricating sundry articles of apparel from his trunk, and placing them on chairs about the room. ‘Do you not smell something peculiar about that jar ?” “I think I do,” said Mr. Pickwick, taking a pretty long sniff, as he poked his nose into the mouth of the pot; ‘‘ and—but it is almost ridiculous to say so—one would think it smelt of mushrooms or catsup.” ¢ Phat is my proof,” dogmatically exclaimed Mr. Walker. ‘* im- mediately after the overflowings of the Nile, there was of course always plenty of mushrooms; and as the Children of Israel lived in the fields, they were most likely very fond of those little articles of consumption. It will not then require a very considerable stretch of the imagination, to fancy that the Israelites were fond of pickled mushrooms, and that this was one of their jars.” Mr. Pickwick perfectly acquiesced in this system of reaso ne and is eye accepted the mysterious jar with the most heart-felt thanks. then.fell for the first time on the singular occupation of Mr. Hook Walker. ‘‘ Pray might I enquire why you inspect your clothes and liner in the middle of the day ?” demanded Mr. Pickwick: ‘I hope there are no thieves in the hotel,” added the great man, naturally alarmed for the safety of his newly acquired Egyptian relic. ‘* Oh, no,” said Mr. Hook Walker, ‘‘ I’m merely going to turn con. veyancer this afternoon.” ‘‘Ah! a lawyer—I see,” said Mr. Pickwick, ‘ But what do you arrange your clothes now for?” ‘Will you do mea favour, old fellow?” demanded Mr. Walker, suddenly turning towards Mr. Pickwick, and speaking in a tone of unusual familiarity and levity. ‘I wish you would,” he added, hastily : ‘‘I shall win a large sum of money by a bet, if you could.” (COLA @ JOO .S (c©)