Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

Pickwick Abroad. 17 “Waiter,” said the young gentleman, in a loud authoritative tone of voice, “‘ I dme at home to-day.” “ Very good, Sir,” observed the waiter, with extreme indifference. ‘* At six o'clock, waiter—do your hear 2” cried the young gentleman. ‘* Yes, Sir,” returned the waiter, ‘‘ I will inform master of it, Sir.” ‘* And let me have some game, waiter,’ continued the young gen- tleman, rendering his voice as commanding as he could, in order to conquer the indifference of the waiter, a task he found by no means easy. , ** I'll ask missis, Sir,” said the waiter, preparing to leave the room. ‘‘ Perhaps these gentlemen dine here too,” observed the young man, now, for the first time, affecting to notice Mr. Pickwick and Mr, Winkle, “We do so—and at the same hour,” said Mr. Pickwick mildly. ‘Then we'll dine together,” exclaimed the young gentleman, with- out once reflecting that his proposition might not be agreeable. ‘* Perhaps these gentlemen,” began the waiter, “‘ would rather—”’ ““Oh! with much pleasure,” said Mr. Pickwick, interrupting the waiter, and addressing himself to the stranger in allusion to the pro- posed plan of dining together. The waiter made no farther remark, tut walked twice round the room, pretending to dust a couple of chairs on which no one had been seated that day, and to arrange a curtain which had not been touched since he last disposed it in its proper folds ; havmg done which, he glided out of the room. ‘* You are strangers, gentlemen?” said the young man the moment the waiter had left the apartment. “We only arrived in France this morning,” returned Mr. Pickwick. ** And { have been here six weeks,” exclaimed the young gentleman. ** Confounded bore! but have been detained here against my will.” “‘ Bad roads, I suppose,” said Mr. Pickwick, “and you did not like to venture upon them 2” ‘“No—curse the roads,” replied the stranger. ‘‘The fact is, my bankers are in Ireland—the north of Ireland—and I have been kept here waiting for my remittances.” “ How very provoking!” ejaculated the kind-hearted Mr. Pickwick. ~ Great nuisance,” said the young gentleman; ‘“ particularly when one has several thousands in his banker’s hands.” » Very annoying indeed!” chimed in the equally sympathetic Winkle; “is it not, Pickwick?” he added in a manner requiring cor- roboration of his assertion. , ‘** Pickwick!’ exclaimed the young gentleman, as if he did not already very well know that such was the name of the illustrious individual in whose august presence he stood,—“‘ No!” ‘“‘ Yes, indeed,” said Mr. Pickwick mildly ; ‘‘my name is Pickwick!” *““ The deuce ! who would have thought it 2” cried the young gen- tleman in an ecstacy of joy; and flinging himself upon Mr. Pickwick, he embraced him cordially. “ Dear me—Sir—my dear Sir”—exclaimed Mr. Pickwick, almost smothered, and unable to sustain the entire weight of the enthusiastic stranger—" really, I have not the pleasure—I don’t know—”’ “A thousand pardons, my dear Sir!” said the young gentleman, at length relinquishing his hold. ‘TI am indeed very imprudent— . C ECORNICLOOOKS (C(O)