Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD. 173 fancied that his volatile friend entertained a shrewd suspicion relative to his adventure with the fair Anastasie. He therefore deemed it prudent to make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, an object he forthwith effected in the followmg original and exemplary manner. ‘“‘Crashem, your hand!” said Mr. Tupman in an emphatic tone of voice. The required extremity was accordingly tendered to the individual who was reduced to it, and was long retained in a friendly grasp. An introduction between Mr. Crashem and Mademoiselle de Volage was then accomplished by the delighted Mr. Tracy Tupman, who might very well have spared himself the trouble, seemg that those two individuals were well acquainted with each other, and that their little jaunt to St. Omers together had not been at all disturbed in pian or execution by the fortuitous circumstance of the lady’s having met Mr, ‘Tupman in the manner before described. “Ah! ah! I see—a love affair,” exclaimed Mr. Crashem, when a whisper on the part of Mr. Tupman had put him m possession of those facts which he had already more than half divined. ‘““ Well,”’ contmued that strictly moral young gentleman, “‘ as your intentions are upright and honourable, I don’t care if I lend myself to the business. But we must stop at St. Omers, and preserve a strict zrcog.; and Mademoiselle may pass off as your sister. As soon as she has transacted her busi- ness in that town, we can all run over to Dover, where the marriage- knot may be tied—eh?”’—and Mr. Crashem dug his fingers into Mr. Tupman’s ribs, which facetious enactment caused them both to laugh heartily, while the object of their discourse concealed her blushes in a cambric pocket-handkerchief and a suppressed giggle. ‘“¢ Admirable!”’ cried Mr. Tupman, rubbing his side-with his right hand, and arranging his shirt-frill with the left. “¢ Just hke my adventure with Sing-chang!” ejaculated Mr. Crashem, alluding to his love affair with the relative of the great Cham. At this moment the diligence stopped to change horses at St. Denis, and Mr. Crashem assisted himself and his friends to a glass of brandy from a bottle he carried in the side-pocket of his mysterious rough blue coat. A considerable degree of persuasion was, however, required fo induce Anastasie to refresh herself with the exhilarating fiuid; and she afterwards declared that she could never have finished the whole glass had not a sudden jolt, occasioned by the starting of the diligence once more, urged the brandy down her delicate throat. Mr. Tupman felt it impossible not to adore a being so full of ingenuousness and candour; and Mr. Crashem added to the exciting pleasure of the mo- ment by declaring it to be “‘a most excellent lark.” At about ten o’clock the diligence entered the little town of Cler- mont; and there the travellers partook of a cheap and moderate sup- _ per, their appetites being tested by the alternatives of coffee and bread- and-butter, or soup and sour wme. When the two friends and the young lady were, however, again seated in the coupé, theysmade their Sorry fare an excuse for once more applying themselves to the brandy, Anastasie declaring that nothing but the acidity of the wine could have induced her even io smell ‘‘the horrid stuff” a second time. The effects of these potations were exhibited in an immense deal of laughter, EOMMIC OOO KSo(EO) =) ri . a Wi 4) ; Ba