Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD. 175. Mr. Tupman could not write to his bankers in London, as he fancied that those gentlemen would be the very first to whom Mr. Pickwick would address himself relative to his absence; and Mr. Adolphus Crashem and Mademoiselle Anastasie, with the best of all possible inclinations, had no bankers to write to. It was therefore suggested by Mr. Crashem that Mr. Tupman should consign his watch to the custody “ of his uncle.” “I would willingly do so, my dear friend,” exclaimed Mr. Tupman, “but I have not a single relative—much less an uncle, in the whole town.” Mr. Adolphus Crashem indulged in a hearty laugh, and then con- descended to explain himself by declaring that he had alluded to the pawnbroker. “Oh, I see,” said Mr. Tupman; ‘‘ you are disposed to be facetious. But recollect, that if I consent to adopt this method of procuring money, we proceed to England to-morrow morning; and—” A glance at Anastasie spoke the rest; for that look expressed as goodly a folio volume as ever issued from the publishing house of Messieurs Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper. 4 A blush on the part of Mademoiselle de Volage, and an imprecation against his eyes, coupled with an affirmative, on that of Mr. Adolphus Crashem, made known a reciprocal concurrence with the suggestion of the enamoured swain. ‘“* But who is to go?” enquired Mr. Tracy Tupman. ‘“* You,” responded Mr. Adolphus Crashem. “And how am I to find it?” demanded Mr. Tupman, alluding tc the pawnbroker’s shop. ‘* Leave that to me,” exclaimed Mr. Crashem; and that gentleman glided hastily from the room. Ina few minutes he returned with a small book in his hand. It was a ‘‘ Guide to St. Omers,” and happily afiorded, through the mediwm of a lettered map, the information required. Mr. Crashem accordingly conducted his intimate and most particular friend to the door of the Mont-de-Piété * itself, and there left him to shift for himself. Mr. Tupman, finding himself thus abandoned, rushed wildly into the shop, or rather office, and, hastening up to the compter, laid his watch upon the dirty board. A thin, sallow-faced man, with short grey hair standing bolt upright upon his head, and a pen behind his ear, proceeded to the immediate inspection of the handsome repeater, while its owner became the object of attention to halfa dozen wretches that crowded near him. <A young girl of fifteen, whose features had once worn the traces of beauty, but which were now disfigured with the unhealthy glow of dissipation and nr@ularity of life, abandoned the old shawl she had brought, to gaze upon the new-comer. A _haggard-looking woman of about thirty, with a child in her arms, also suffered her eye to wander from the three francs her Sunday gown had procured for her sustenance and the nourishment of her half- famished babe; and three withered beldames, that resembled the witches in “‘ Macbeth” rather than human beings, relinquished—the : 7 * So the pawnbroking establishments, which are all government institutions, are denominated in France. , EOMICLOOOL<S (E(@) =)