Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

212 Pickwick Abroad. nance: had doubtless portended the terrible tidings that she was doomed to hear. ‘‘'You did not see him yesterday, Madam,’ I continued; “or, if you were so fortunate, he neglected your advice and my injune- tions.”’ ‘7 did not see him, Monsieur Dumont,” was the reply—fer she now recovered the faculty of speech—‘‘I sought him in vam. I called at all his usual haunts—but he was not to be found.—If you know aught relative to him, keep me not in suspense—Oh! do not torture me—but let me be made acquainted with the worst.” ‘‘ Your husband, Madam,” said I slowly, ‘‘ went last evening to the Palais Royal—” beppy ost his aon! I thought “ much !’’ screamed the un- woman: ‘‘and now we are beggars—beggars—without a friend ! O God !—O God! what will become of us ?’’ b ‘‘ Alas! it is sorrowful for me to be the bearer of evil tidings— ut—’’ . ‘‘ Heavens! explain yourself—my husband—speak, Simmy hus- band—is he alive?” cried Emilie, in a tone expressive of the acutest agonies. ‘¢ Your husband és alive, Madam—but—’” and I hesitated. ‘‘ But what? Speak, Iconjure you—are you come hither to torment me ?——-speak—I am nerved—Oh! yes, too well nerved to listen to all the horrors you may yet have to unfold,” she added in a voice of batter irony, as if, in the midst of despair, she could dare to laugh at . H iD’ ) on brainal gaol ! da-I, ‘Henri D’Arly is in a crimi ”” gaid:I, seeing it was im sible to withhold the sad news an instant longer. wn One long—loud shriek issued from the lips of the wretched woman, and had I not caught her in my arms, she would have fallen from the sofa to the floor. I summoned her attendants, and consigned my lovely burden to their care, informing them that I was the of unhappy tidings relative to her husband, and that I had chosen to communicate in person, fearful lest the afflicted wife should have been condemned to an unvarnished and unextenuating account of the transaction in the public journals, or have been in- formed of Henri’s disgrace by some officious person whose want of feeling might cause him to in no measured terms. Having thus explained the motives of my visit, and partially accounted for the situation in which Madame D’Arly was discovered by her servants, - I retired, and eeded to the office of the Committee for the Main- tenance of Public Security. y 3 Can I be favoured with ten minutes’ audience of Monsieur 1 ” was m iry of the domestic whom I encountered in the antechamber. aed ‘“‘ Estrez,” replied the servant—and I was ushered into the presence of the most celebrated autobiographer of the age. ‘‘ What is your name?” demanded M. Vidoog's somewhat sternly. ‘** Dumont, at your service,” was the respectful answer. ‘‘T have waited for you above an hour,’’ observed Vidocaq, suffering his tone to become more conciliatory. ‘‘ You waited for me!” exclaimed I in astonishment, well knowing GOMICDOO q) SS (c@