Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

QU2 PIOKWICK AMKUAD. gentleman, who was introduced to Mr. Pickwick and his companions as Mr. Nassau Siffkin; and a very singular-looking person he was. His age might have been about sixty-two, but he endeavoured to make people believe that he was fast verging upon forty only. His brown surtout-coat was exceedingly tight at the waist—his boots were exceedingly narrow over the instep—his hand was exceedingly white —his hair and whiskers yocetinnly wall dyed—and his teeth did in- finite credit to Mr. Desirabode, the dentist in the Palais Royal. Asto his character, the reader may gather its peculiarities from his con- versation. ‘Well, this is very fortunate,” said Mr. Pickwick: ‘‘ the more, the merrier—you know, my dear Mrs. Weston.” “* Of course you are come to see the village-coronation,” said that lady : ‘‘ and of course we shall all dine cpeether afterwards ?”’ “Oh! dear mc—may I be called old and ugly for the rest of my life, if this isn’t delightful!” observed Mr. siirkin, screwing up his lips, and appealing in a truly fascinating and finnikin manner to Mr. Pickwick. ‘It isa part of our systems to enjoy ourselves, Sir,” said the grave Mr. Hook Walker. ‘‘'The last time I came to Suréne,” retiarked Mr. Scuttle, ‘* I was on horseback ; and what do you think I did ?” ‘“‘T am sure I shall never guess,” said Mr. Pickwick. “Why,” continued Mr. Scuttle, “I led my nag into the idle. @’hote room, and desired him to seat himself next to an old lady at the table, while I proceeded to the stable, where I began eating the oats, and only found out my mistake when I undertook to neigh as the ’ ostler came to rub me down.” ‘‘Convey me henceforth straight to perdition, if that isn’t the most extraordinary thing I ever heard in the whole course of my life,” screamed Mr. Nassau Siffkin, in a perfect paroxysm of delight. “*So it is,’’ coincided Mr. Pickwick. ‘Have you been long in France, Sir ?’’ ‘* Only three days this time, Mr. Pickwick,” returned the gentleman thus appealed to. ‘‘ But let the winds for ever efface all traces of my eg——”’ “Vy don’t ye say, ‘blast them!’ then, Sir?” interrupted a voice from behind, which Mr. Pickwick shrewdly suspected to belong to his faithful attendant; but when he turned to ascertain the truth of the matter, Mr. Weller looked so very innocent and unmoved beneath his master’s searching glance, that no notice was taken of the occurrence. ‘All traces of my eyes,” continued Mr. Nassau Siffkin, ‘if the fashionable world didn’t go into mourning when I withdrew my lustre from its sphere. And between ourselves,” added Mr. Siffkin, lower- ing his voice, and glancing suspiciously around him, “the clerk at the Morning Post Office Lehaved very well on the occasion. He only charged me a guinea for announcing my departure, and the pro- crastination of my great dinner-party till my return ;—if he didn’t do this, may my teeth never be again called white!” ‘How verv handsome!” said Mr. Pickwick. ‘‘ But while we are standing chattering here, we are losing the preliminaries to the dav's diversion, Suppose we order dinner for five o’clock, and in the mean- 6)(0)(6) a S = a .S