Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

174 Pickwick Abroad. and an exceeding talkativeness on the part of all three; and Mr. Crashem, with a view to encourage the prevailing good-humour, vo- lunteered and sang the following sentimental air, to the unspeakable delight of the passengers in the other departments of the vehicle. SONG. Tune.— There 1s not in this wide world a valley so sweet.” There’s not in all London a tavern so gay, As that where the knowing ones meet of a day; So long as a farthing remains to my share, I'll drink at that tavern, and never elsewhere ! Yet it 1s not that comforts there only combine, Nor because it produces good brandy and wine; *Tis not the sweet odour of pipe nor cigar— Oh! no-—’tis a something more cozie by far! Tis that friends of the Hell and the Turf are all nigh, Who’d drink till the cellar itself should be dry, And teach you to feel how existence may please, When pass’d in the presence of cronies like these. Sweet Sign of the Fiddle! how long could I dwell In thy tap full of smoke, with the friends I love well! When bailiffs no longer the alleys infest, And duns, like their bills, have relapsed into rest! It were useless to detail the trivial events which occurred upon the road; or how the travellers fell asleep shortly after this beautiful air was brought to a conclusion—how they awoke on the following morning to find themselves at Amiens, where they breakfasted—how they dined at St. Pol at about three o’clock—and how they entered the strongly fortified town of St. Omers towards nine in the even- ing, after a journey that had occupied very nearly eight-and-twenty hours. The conductor was remunerated in the usual way by Mr. Tupman, for Mr. Adolphus Crashem entertained a striking and pecu- liar aversion to the office of official paymaster—the baggage was trans- - ferred from the top of the vehicle to the summit of a porter’s back— the diligence proceeded towards Calais—and the three travellers hastened to the Hotel Canon d’Or, where three bed-rooms and a sitting- room were placed at their immediate disposal; and a good supper was ordered for purposes of subsequent discussion. For the attend- ance of that meal* they were, however, obliged to wait three-quarters of an hour, at the expiration of which it was duly served up, and then the attendant waited upon them. It is not our purpose to dwell minutely upon this portion of our nar- rative. Suffice it to say that Mr. Crashem took charge of the cash that had originally appertained to Mademoiselle de Volage, Mr. Tupman, and himself; and as none of them had carried away a treasure from the French metropolis, it cannot be wondered at if the exchequer were exhausted at the expiration of four days. They were now involved in a little dilemma, and were constrained to hold a consultation to resolve upon measures to extricate themselves from their difficulties. EORNIELDOO KS, (EC)