Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

146 Pickwick Abroad, me more than the loss ofthe little filly, whose wind he broke when going to Doncaster in that lovely shay I lent him for the occasion. But that was not all. He borrowed a pair of leather breeches and gaiters of the groom, and forgot to restore them when the poor fellow was sent to the treadmill. He humbugged the under-ostler to accept of some squibs in return for a pair of spurs—told me I was no gentle- man when I sent in my bill—asked me to dine with him, borrowed — my plate, and never restored it to me, but assured me, with all the impudence in the world, ‘ that he had lent it to his uncle’-—and -at length cut me at the theatre, because I went in my top-boots and new checked neckerchief. Under these circumstances, Sir, I cannot consent to take one farthing less than the amount of my bill; and remain, “Sir, “Your obedient humble servant, “MICHAEL NAGSFLESH.” The second and last letter ran as follows :— “Sir, ‘“‘T am desired by Mr. Stickemin to acknowledge your favour, and to assure you that he would willingly accede to Mr. Adolphus Crashem’s proposition, did not two or three little circumstances pre- vent him. In the first place, the name of Crashem is but an assumed one, and was printed upon his card about the very time he ever put on the first pair of leather unutterables, made for him by Mr. Stick- emin. In the second place, he dressed up a common horse-chaunter as a gentleman, and introduced him to us as a nobleman of rank and fortune, whereby Mr. Stickemin was a loser to the amount of eighty- seven pounds nimeteen shillings and eleven pence halfpenny. (See Ledger, page 187.) And in the third place—but there are also a great many other places, if I did but choose to mention them—this Mr, Urashem, or whatever his name may be, persuaded Mrs, Stickemin to purchase a small dancing-bear, which he had himself bought for a paltry sum, at the enormous value of twenty pounds lawful money of this realm. ) ‘Your obedient servant (for A. Stickemin), “TIMOTHY RUNNITUP.” Searcely had Mr. Pickwick perused the contents of these letters, and made known their nature to Mr. Tupman and Mr. Winkle, when they all met at the breakfast-table, before Mr. Weller entered the room. “Vell,” said that individual, without waiting to be questioned re- iative to the cause of the strange smile that curled his lip, ‘‘ ’m blowed (fever I see such a go as thisis. Jack-the-Giant-Killer ain’t nothin’ to it.” ‘* What's the matter, Sam ?” enquired Mr. Pickwick, almost chok- ing himself with the fear of another visit from Mr. Septimus Chitty. ‘““Vy, Sir,” responded Mr. Weller, ‘‘ there’s a wery res-pectable old chap down in the coffee-room, as keeps a public in the Borough, I Gomichbooks.co eo