Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

88 PICKWICK ABRGAD. | soners, and accompanied Mr. Weiler to a hackney-coach, which that faithful domestic had already taken the precaution to fetch, and which speedily deposited the somewhat intemperate gentlemen at the gate of Meurice’s hotel in the Rue de wivoll. CHAPTER XI. Mr. Tracy TurpMAN FORMS AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH A SYSTEMATIC GENTLEMAN OFTEN QUOTED IN MCDERN TIMES, BUT NEVER BEFORE INTRODUCED TO THE READER IN ANY PUBLICATION.— THE SOIREE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, In the meantime, what were the exploits of the gallant Tracy Tup- man? Reduced to the very verge of desperation by what he deemed the unhandsome—the shameful—the unpardonable conduct of his oreat leader, Mr, Tupman rushed precipitateiy from his presence, as before stated, and hurried into the street with that recklessness. of whither he was going, which all men in such situations deem 1t neces- sary to assume or feel. “OQ Pickwick!” said Mr. Tupman, as he walked along the Rue de Rivoli; ** and is it come to this? Must the world, with its usual scandal, falsely represent the cause of our separation? Shall the chroniclers of our respective histories be left vainly to speculate on the springs of this, the most important event in our mutual lives ? and what can we say to Snodgrass—to Winkle—io Crashem—and_ to Boozie? In writing to the one, and conversing with the others, what excuse must we make for an alienation as untoward as It 1s distressing ?” Such were Mr. Tupman’s reflections—and to this extreme pitch of misery had he just arrived, when it struck him that, if Mr. Pickwick were capable of dining after so lamentable an occurrence, there was no reason in the world why he himself should starve. No sooner had this light of intelligence dawned in upon his brain, than.a second ray, no less luminous than its precursor, immediately darted through his mind, and recalled to memory the existence of certain eating-houses— styled restaurans—in the Palais Royal. Thither did Mr, Tupman forthwith repair, sighing at every step, and having totally eschewed the jaunty and debonnaire airs he had so successfully adopted in the morning. Hedid not, however, forget his appointment for half- past nine; and his bosom felt a partial relief when he reflected on the agreeableness of the evening he was desiied to pass, But a lengthy train of reflections and a quick pace invariably carry us at last to some point or another; and on this occasion, these two avencies conducted Mr. Tupman im safety to the very identical gallery of the Palais Royal where his visual organs had first detected the pre- sence of youthful beauty in the morning. ‘There were a great many brilliantly lighted cafés—but Mr. ‘Tupman knew not which to choose. Like the ass placed betwixt two bundles of hay, he was likely to starve in the midst of plenty, from the mere fact of being unable to decide between a number of imposing candidates for his favours, In this state of uncertainty, a good genius fortunately came to Eomichooks.co