Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 263: what you’re looking at

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

214 Pickwick Abroad. a half-naked, haggard-looking female to be—‘ here is a pretty dis- turbance at an honest woman’s door, at this unseemly hour—not twelve o’clock yet, I declare.” “You were probably awakened out of your sleep somewhat early, Mademoiselle,” said I with an ironical smile, and casting a scrutimatng glance around the chamber at the same time. ‘ But it appears,” added, looking he youne lady full in the face, when my cursory inspection was ended, “ that you are married—and therefore ought to call yourself Madame—” “Oh! I beg you not to touch hts—he is ill—he is dying—and the least exposure—”’ implored Mademoiselle Lemoine, with a witching smile that, however, failed to captivate my flinty heart. ‘“‘T merely wish to look at his-face for one moment,” said I—and, heedless of the va n appeals and equally vain attempts of the courtezan to prevent me, I dragged the. bed-clothes from the individual they eoncealed, and discovered the magnanimous captain curled up in a fashion that could not but excite my laughter, He did not make use of the slightest efforts to obtain his release, but preserved a dogged silence, while I compelled him to dress himself with all sible despatch, during which ceremony the fair tzamorata of the noble officer seated herself in a corner and wept. In a few minutes the captain’s toilet was completed, and I requested him to accompany me quietly to the nearest Commissary of Police, assuring him that resistanee would be useless, that I would blow his brains out if he attempted any, and that my honour was com- promised in the result of my exploit. He did not answer a syllable, ut complied with my wishes, and in the course of a couple of hours joined his worthy companions at the Conciergerie, |] need scarcel add, that I was more highly delighted at. the termination of this ad venture in so creditable a way to myself, than I should have been had I delivered up to the hands of justice my three prisoners all at the same time. A month or six weeks elapsed ere the accused were taken before the Court of Assizes of the Department of the Seine to be tried for the ® ® e offence with which they had been charged. The cause did not long } Pad | = Z | |= Et 2 oe jsaiee ei ll | = Fi Dar t _ ine ti hd. Lag ews . ote an 9 seco | gs : - (or ‘ be! iy ot iy 1 fh | aaa | ieee ly WE bis Pesala ha arya! ait HU ied . ie a Wy | le i ef rib Meh et ET a Ca lng vt - | eT a gir ‘her - “4 } if | H J f of. ad — =. Th a . + = im a | =a + 7 = el i | !! - ‘ L. = g TP ;s 1 7 - _ . = . = ain —— —— eo —— - — — i: occupy the jury; they were found guilty—aud the president pro- nounced sentence—-which condemned the captain to work ten yeare GOMMCOGO cS CO