Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 383: what you’re looking at

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318 Picknick Abroad, monument of a thousand victories which embellishes the Place Ven- déme—and he feels that he is in a city of magnificence and of splen- dour. Mr. Siffkin tarried for some time to admire that prospect, so beau- tiful in the moon-light, ere he proceeded to his hotel; and at the mo- ment when he was about to resume his short walk towards that estab- lishment, he was accosted by two gentlemen in the following manner. ‘“‘T see, Sir, that you are an Englishman,” said the stouter one of the two in a familiar tone of voice. ‘‘ Tam, Sir,” said Mr. Siffkin with a very polite bow. | ‘So are we—ain’t we, Jopling?” exclaimed the stout gentleman, inflicting a hard thump quite unnecessarily, according to the ideas of Mr. Nassau Siffkin, upon his companion’s back. ‘“‘T should rather think we are, old fellow,” responded Mr. Jopling; and he and Mr. Lipman, whom the reader has doubtless already re- cognised, laughed so heartily that Mr. Siffkin really began to believe something very witty was going on, but where he could not precisely ascertain. | “Do you hang out near here?’’ enquired Mr, Lipman, when his mirth had somewhat subsided. Mr. Siffkin intimated that he was appended to the Hotel du Rhin, at that moment. ‘Will you step round the corner, then, to Lawson’s hotel—Lawson is a devilish good fellow—and take a glass of the invariable ?” politely demanded Mr. Lipman. ‘The vernacular, as | call it,” said Mr. Jopling, whose face was more bloated than ever. ‘‘ Lawson has excellent Dunkirk gin at his smithy.” . way ‘‘T really am exceedingly indebted to you, gentlemen,” responded Mr. Siffkin: ‘‘ but upon my word——may I for ever lose the sight of these hazel optics of mine—” ‘“*What does he say, Lipman ?”’ asked Mr. Jopling. ‘“‘ That he won’t go with us—it’s too far,” immediately replied Mr. Lipman; “ but that we shall accompany him. So here’s for 1¢;”’—and with a horse-laugh and great coolness of manner, Messieurs Lipman and Jopling seized each an arm of Mr, Nassau Siffkin, and dragged that gentleman to his hotel before he could utter a syllable of objec- tion or assent. ““Now, what shall we take, old chap?’ said Mr. Lipman to his friend Mr. Jopling, when these gentlemen and Mr. Siffkin were safely anchored in the private sitting-room of the latter. ‘Have you any objection to a bowl of punch ?” | ‘Really, gentlemen,” urged Mr. Siffkin, referring to his watch— * Devilish glad you ain’t ina hurry, old boy,” replied Mr. Lipman, dealing an awful poke in the ribs to Mr. Siffkin. ‘So let’s havea bowl of punch:”’—and without any more ado, but with a great deal of ease, Mr. Lipman summoned the waiter, and commanded him to bring, on the shortest possible notice, the largest possible bowl of brandy punch. ‘‘And a dozen of your best cigars,’’ added Mr. Jopling. We'll make ourselves comfortable, at all events What do you say, Lip- man ?” Gomichbooks.com