Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

Pickwick “Abroad: 33] Poles, to emigrate to South America? We should have formed a Re- ublic ; and as specie would have been somewhat scarce amongst us, tT should have adopted a scale like this for the remuneration of the officers of the commonwealth.” | Count Boloski drew a paper from Ins pocket; and, as it was still just light enough for him to read, he edified Mr. Snodgrass with the ensuing rates of salaries :— ‘His Excellency the Governor (per annum) 1000 deer-skins ; ‘*‘ His Honour the Chief Justice, 500 ditto; *“ The Attorney-General, 450 ditto ; ** The Governor’s Secretary, 500 racoon skins ; ‘* The State Treasurer, 450 otter skins; “* Each Country Clerk, 300 beaver skins ; ‘“* Members of Assembly (per day) 3 racoon skins; “ Justice’s fee for signing a warrant, 1 musk-rat skin; ** To the Constable for serving a warrant, 1 mink skin; *“ And fees in the same proportion,’’ added Lord Boloski, once more consigning the paper (on which it at first struck Mr. Snodgrass that there was nothing written) to his pocket. ‘* And why was such an admirable scheme never put into execu- tion, my lord ?’”’ demanded Mr. Snodgrass. “The jealousy of the southern republics of America would have rendered the thing impracticable,” explained Count Boloski. ‘“‘ But, by the bye, I have got myself into a little scrape, when I think of it,”’ erled his lordship, after an instant’s pause. ‘* Indeed—I hope not,” said Mr. Snodgrass. ‘‘ You have not for- gotten your pistols ?”’ “Oh! they’re as right as a trivet,” returned the Polish nobleman. “But the fact is, that I promised to take up a cousin of mine—a devilish handsome girl—who is staying with a French marchioness at Montreuil, She was to be at the hotel where the diligence stops, and was to proceed with me to Paris. Flow shall we manage? I really quite forgot her.” | “This chaise might hold four people, timidly. “So it could,” said the Count; ‘‘ I never thought of that. On the whole we shall be very comfortable together. The Countess Love- minski ’s a very fine girl. She is a widow—with a large fortune, and has no one to controul her.” For some reason or another Mr. Snodgrass did not at this moment avow that he was married. His note-book not being in so perfect a state as those of his three great friends, the editor of these memoranda cannot elucidate the causes of this extraordinary circumstance. It is therefore fair to suppose that the Count Boloski fancied him to be a single young man. It was about twelve o’clock at night when the post-chaise stopped at Montreuil; and on enquiry, Count Boloski ascertained that the Countess Lovemimski had been waiting for him upwards of three days. Mr. Snodgrass was introduced to her ladyship in due form; and the meeting between her and her cousin was affecting in the extreme. A long embrace and many kisses demonstrated the friend- ship which ean exist in aristocratic as well as in vulgar minds; and 39 suggested Mr. Snodgrass, CORNICLOO© cS (C(O)