Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

4. | Pickwick Abroad. ‘“‘ Just a trifle,” returned Mr, Winkle, ‘ only for the amusement of the thing.” “¢ Twobob and a bender—will that suit you ?” enquired Mr, Crashem, in a playful strain of metaphor, or rather synonyme. ‘“‘ Eh 2?” exclaimed Mr. Winkle, who did not wish to appear ignorant of terms evidently used by people in the higher walks of life: ‘“ how much did you say?” ‘‘ Half-a-crown, if you lke,” responded Mr. Crashem; and the game commenced accordingly. “Are you strong at écarté?” enquired Mr. Crashem, pocketing the third half-crown, and turning up his seventh king with a coolness and presence of mind that did him immense credit, when we take into con- sideration the risk he was running. ‘‘Not very,” returned Mr. Winkle, glancing hastily over a hand composed of three eights, one nine, and one ten, of which none was a trump. “Good players always say that,” observed Mr. Crashem, placidly arranging upon his knees five picture cards of high cakbre. ‘‘ But I’m afraid you ain’t lucky to-day? By the bye—did you ever hear of the match I played at chess with the ambassador from the king of the Uninhabited Islands? That was a match, or my name isn’t Crashem! I gave him a queen, the two castles, and a bishop—and beat him in fifteen minutes by Lord Bugden’s chronometer-watch. There’s the king again, I declare!” added Mr. Crashem, while M. Dumont shrugged up his shoulders, smiled, but said nothing. Wher the love-sick maiden is recliningon a flowery bank, by the side ofa meandering stream, pondering on her passion, and enjoying the stilly calmness of the evening, a clap of thunder may suddenly arouse her from her delightful reverie. hen the man about town is lux- triating in the coffee-room of an hotel, on a bottle of claret and a broiled fowl, the unhallowed touch of the sheriff’s officer’s hand upon his shoulder not unfrequently disturbs his enjoyment. So it was on the present occasion: for—to pursue the approved method adopted by novelists to introduce a circumstance of such import—at the very mo- ment, when Mr. Winkle was quietly shuffling the cards, having handed over to Mr, Crashem another English half-crown, the voice of Mr. Pickwick fell upon his ears. ‘< ‘What!” exclaimed that gentleman, awaking from his slumbers, like a giant refreshed with wine—‘“‘are you gambling again, Mr. Winkle, and losing the money which belongs as much to your wife and children as to yourself?” ‘We are not playing for much, my dear friend,’ observed Mr. Winkle, in a trem ling voice. ‘‘ And, pray, Sir—what are you playing for?’ enquired Mr, Pick- wick, in a tone of extreme irascibility. ‘“‘ Only two bob and a bender!”’ replied Mr. Winkle, animated by a laudable and exemplary desire to display any acquisition of knowledge he might obtain in his continental tour. ‘¢Do you want to insult me, Sir?” cried the indignant Mr. Pick- wick; ‘or is it your wish to alienate from your interests for ever an old and tried friend ?” GOMMICOOOo q) (c@