Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 352: what you’re looking at

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

Pickwick Abroad. 29] The singularity of the story soon caused it to be bruited abroad ; and it reached my ears with the additional news, that the happy father and his now convalescent son were making the most diligent search after her who had caused all the misery—however innocently—which had occurred. Destiny appeared to have decided that I should espouse John Melville—and conscience pointed out to me the horrors of link- ing the fates of two individuals like us together. But all compunction, all hesitation vanished on my part, when I saw an old man at my feet, and a lover by my side, imploring me to renounce my stern f£ésolves, and not irritate by a refusal the already shattered nerves of my ad- mirer. What can I say to justify my conduct? what shall I plead in extenuation of my weakness? Did I yield to the force of my own love? Oh! no—else had I succumbed months before, and thus averted a period of suffering and of horror from us both. But I gave way, when that old man, with his long white hair, knelt at my feet,— when his son’s tears trickled upon my hands,—when I marked the ravages which misery had made on the countenance of the one, and madness on that of the latter.—and when I pondered on the results of a refusal, I acceded to the solicitations of the suppliants, and consented to become the bride of John Melville, We were married in the magnificent chapel of the British Ambas- sador’s hotel, by the chaplain to the embassy, in the Protestant faith, which was the creed professed by my husband; and the ceremony, to suit my own religious notions, was afterwards celebrated in the church of Saint Etiennedu Mont. The bridal was simple and devoid Mes || i : \' ih = ) + Hi | ‘ in { i a , 7 rs Pe cd - Z Ss 7 i oy \ = L Tyna, ‘ ) Ae y iiive | Hie “¢ q = NI ea 4 j ° \ Re ( fA i] Py, : 1 A f ABEL RA AA) A SUR AYA oS yea yt TGF dh I nee TPL iy ete. vhA b+ WM, i Yer atime Fort { j { ahd a } 5 i +1 te aor } iH Si ii v ile 4 \ ‘ Un oan: | yer rT i. I Lr | Ait as ‘ us Waal <YSSNG ae A | = PU UT HT 3 id f ly A > | ‘ge Siew eT | ¥ i ji i 5 |! -, nel ‘ Ven x ‘i | Mie | ty, WY 4 7 ( nV) i ; { , a Weis 7 . Ny oF » H fl j 1 ‘ le ) EH va ‘nt NW NU dul i!) i an 5 4 | a HTH ITH ! Inn T : | Mh sy yaldene a aed I ii} | f ( iis | W i bet LIYITY. UIT Wipe ) Noon Lig | by / Us arin TPT tT Trane uit 1 Mt] AN LTT eer? Ni -_— ; 4 ’ irl a Pic os ieee He A a a h lesa > Wal Pip | Ny, ain? “ alvin fa EN ah 7 Apel Aa) F; \ f h i ia | Vetere pn WO AN 1 Ma ATRIA Recast yet NH | 4 | Ae nad Wn} whe Wing si fed sit As ) Ws 4 sh 1 Sorel 4 ) yeh i CFs of) hw) ee iS i 1 ® YO) * ‘ s) 1 Bey YE omy pe | fff 1 > " 7a. \ Wak Hit Mes AN LA) | ( bw eur lsd | \F 1 a : | ba baba aca S. A a ARE : Le aah of all pomp and useless ostentation: the splendour of the edifice in which it was performed was its only ornament, And truly never dij y 2 ECORNIELOOOKS.E© ©)