Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

36 Pickwick Abroad. his shoulders, and screwed his mouth into a pleasing variety of forms. ‘Now it’s my turn, old Touch-and-go,’”’ exclaimed Mr. Weller, ad- dressing himself to the intrepreter, and laying hold of that gentleman’s button-hole, the size of which he considerably increased in a very few minutes. ‘‘ Please to tell the big-vig as sits in judgment in this wery respectable little court, vich, for all the vorld, resembles a good-sized English closet, saving his Vorship’s presence, and your’n, Sir,” with a nod to his master, ‘“‘ that I’ve no objection to make that 'pollogy vich it becomes von gen’leman to make to another. I von’t aggra- wate the beak—his Vorship—I mean, by portruding any o’ my remarks upon the cheer: I should only re-mind him o’ wot the boy said to his mas’er, ven he vos a-going to be flogged,—that mercy’s the more better part o’ justice; and Just beg on him to recollect the obserwation the nobleman made to the cook ven she threw the black-puddins into the grate as vos meant for his lordship’s dinner, that he’d overlook it for vonce on con-dition o’ good behav’our for the future.” Having delivered himself of this lengthy speech, which was secretly applauded by Mr. Pickwick, who muttered something about Cicero and Demosthenes, Mr. Weller nodded familiarly to the Commissary of Police, shoved his hands into his pockets, and awaited the result in silence. Mr. Pickwick’s private notes do not inform us whether the interpreter faithfully translated and rendered Mr. Weller’s oration or defence into the French language; and this we can account for in no other way than by the supposition that Mr. Pickwick was ignorant of the fact himself—an idea that is suggested by the circumstance of his not being acquainted with the language at that period. But this we do know, that the apology was accepted by the magistrate, on condition that it should be accompanied by a fine of five francs for the benefit of the poor, fifteen francs for the repairs that it was found necessary to make to the cocked-hats of the town-serjeants, and twenty francs to increase the revenues of his majesty Louis Philippe. The money was immediately paid by Mr. Pickwick, who spoke loudly of French leniency and the ability of French magistrates, as he walked - back to the hotel with Mr. Samuel Weller. “Wery ’ansome conduct it where, Sir,” echoed Sam ; ‘and a wery relief to my mind arter a-passing eight or nine long hours ina ole to vich no light can’t penetrate even by day. Ifa chap had the misfortune to be o-pressed vith a veak intellect, he’d go a-ravin’ mad, Sir, or else be attacked vith the quivers, like old Gubbins in the King’s Bench.” ‘< Who was he, Sam?” enquired Mr. Pickwick sharply. “Vy, Sir, he’s a cook on his own account,” returned Mr. Weller; ‘¢and ven you and me, Sir, vos in the Fleet, I heerd his story from another pris’ner vich had been imported by have-his-carcase from the Bench to the Farrin’don hot-tel. This Gubbins, it appears, Sir, vos sent to Orsemonger Lane Jug—’’ ‘¢ What does Jug mean, Sam ?”’ enquired Mr. Pickwick sharply. ‘¢ Prison, Sir, to be sure,’”’ returned Mr. Weller. ‘‘Oh! I see,—a synonyme,” observed his master. ‘‘No, Sir, it ain’t a sin on ’em to be there, cos they can’t help it, Sir. But that ain’t neither ‘ere nor there, as the member o’ parli’- ment observed in 8 promiscuous manner, ven he had improperly GOnnCDOOkKS q) (c@