Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD. GS Triple dyes again combining, See the squadrons onward go: In the country’s heaven shining, Mark the various-coloured bow! Happy day! &c. &c. Heroes of that banner gleaming, Ye, who bore it in the fray ! Orleans’ troops! your blood was streaming Freely on that fatal day! From the page of history We have learnt the gen’ral cry: Speed, warriors, speed, &c. &e. Muffled drum! thy music lonely Answers to the mourner’s sighs ; Laurels, for the valiant only, Ornament their obsequies ! Sacred fane of Liberty, Let their mem’ries never die! Bear to his grave Each warrior brave, Who fell in Freedom’s cause, his country’s rights to save, Crown’d with fame and victory ! “Charming novelty !’ thought Mr. Tupman within himself; and he would have doubtless sank into a delicious reverie, had not the fair Anastasie, ina sweet and amiable voice, requested to be informed what o'clock it might be by Mr. Tupman’s watch. The gallant and deeply- enamoured swain hastened to comply with the wishes of Mademoiseile de Volage, and accordingly produced his handsome gold repeater, the hands and the dial of which indicated the hour of one. ‘¢Oh! what alovely watch, dat dere !’’ cried Mademoiselle Anasiasie: “‘ pray, make me see dat sweet ittle ting ;’’—and,with the most ingenuous playfulness, the young lady imsisted upon Mr. Tupman’s taking off his watch and chain, and subjecting them to hercritical examination. This request was immediately complied with, and the fair Anastasie scruti- nized the valuable repeater in a manner, and with an expression of coun- tenance, that seemed to approve of Mr. Tupman’s taste im the selection of little articles of jewellery. At the very moment when the enraptured lover was about to whis- per some sweet compliment in the ears of the fair Anastasie, and com- pare her eyes to the deux trous rudis of his gold watch, or somesuch high-flown metaphor, one of the cross-looking gentlemen inadvertently snuffed out the candle opposite to him, and the Marchioness as awk- wardly extinguished the other in attempting to light the first. An ex- traordinary scene of confusion immediately took place. Mr. Tupman was. knocked from one side to another,—his carcase was the focus at which a hundred fists appeared to meet,—and in his agony he called in vain upon the fair Anastasie for relief. As he has subsequently declared, it appeared as if he were forcibly horne forward by three or four powerful individuals, and eventually shoved out of the front doer into the passage, which was as dark as pitch. Dyreading lest Made- moiselle de Volage might sustain any injury in a disturbance which he firmly believed the cross gentlemen had created ina moment of ebri- ety, the gallant Mr. Tupman precipitated nimself down the six filghts EORMMICLOOOKS.€©