Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

Pickwick Abroad. . 303 as to my real motives of questioning him.—‘ That hat,’ said he, speak- ing quickly, because the sermon was just over, ‘up to this time has been pawned regularly every Monday morning and redeemed every Saturday night, for the last six months. It belongs to a member of the swell-mob, who preaches at the Obelisk in St. George’s Fields every Sunday, and his confederates help themselves to the watches and handkerchiefs of the congregation he gets round him. He went yes- terday afternoon to the treadmill for six weeks; but when he comes out again, he'll redeem his hat as usual, and begin preaching away more fiercely than ever. In the mean time I wear it for him.’—This was the way, Sir, in which I discovered that Mr. Sugden had pawned the buckskin breeches.” ‘‘ And more shame for ye, Mr. What-d’ye-call-it?’’ vociferated a loud yoice from the corner of the Court near the green-baize door. ‘* That’s the way you Snips of the Vest End entraps youngsters, is it, Mr. Thingembob ?” | ) ‘¢ Silence !” exclaimed a hanger-on of the Court. Mr, William Sugden strongly suspected that it was his excellent father’s voice which had caused the interruption; but as the learned Commissioner Buckphiz was entirely wrapt up in the draught of the bill before alluded to, no further notice was taken of the circumstance. ‘¢’You may stand down, Sir,” said Mr. Butler to the opposing cre- ditor, after he had put a few more questions tending to elicit facts in favour of the Insolvent, to the effect that Mr. Stickemin’s bill was very exorbitant, that he had pressed his goods upon his debtor, that he never expected to be paid by more than one customer out of ten, that he who paid amply remunerated him for the loss of all the rest, and that he himself became bankrupt regularly every three years, in order to have an excuse for arresting his customers and getting in his ac- counts, through the medium of assignees who were generally intimate friends of hisown. Mr. Butler appeared to be perfectly satisfied with this acknowledgment on the part of the opposing crediter ; and when Mr. Stickemin had descended from the box, Mr. Butler sate down, and Mr. Michael Nagsfiesh was summoned to the place just vacated by the discomfited tailor. | The second witness having been uly sworn, and the Commissioner having taken a good long stare at him, the examination of Mr. William Sugden was renewed. ‘* Did you not obtain a horse from me under the name of Adolphus Crashem, son of General Crashem, of Crashem Park ?” inquired Mr. Nagsflesh. | ** Yes—and it was paid for by my father,’”’ answered the Insolvent in a tone of the most noble contempt. } “| know that,”’ said Mr. Nagsflesh. “I merely want to show that you entered yourself for the sweepstakes under a false name.” *“* When I renewed credit with you a few weeks ago,” observed Mr. Sugden, ‘‘ you knew that my name was not Crashem; but you gave me any thing | wanted on trust, as you said at the time ‘‘ that the old fogey would pay for it all again.’”’ ** | didn’t use any such language,” exclaimed Mr. Nagsflesh. ‘A greater falsehood was never uttered under the roof of the House of Commons.” EGOMIIGIOOKS (CO)