Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 260: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD. 2479 body with a skilfulness and celerity wiich appeared to Mr. Pickwick meritorious and extraordinary toa degree. ‘There*was, however, no white great-coat with capes tor him to put on: so the party being thus armed, prepared tosaliy forth, Mr. Walker, m order, as he said, to win his bet fairly, having very honourably concealed even his brushes and shaving apparatus about his person. It was about the middle of May when this meident took place; and amore broiling sun never scorched the pavement of Paris, nor ren- dered the use of simples and preventives more necessary to the ladies Jt was therefore eminently interesting to behold Mr. Pickwick and Mr Walker descend the stairs ofthe hotel arm-in-arm, and hasten into the > court-yard, which they had tc traverse to gain the gate; the former airily attired in the thick white coat, and looking peculiarly cool and comfortable, and both increased in size to no trifling extent. ‘The wager was, however, tobe won; and Mr. Pickwick was resolved man- fully to assist his friend in carrying off the prize. The court-yard of the Hotel Mirabeau is a very long one; and just as Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Walker were striding rapidly down it, a pair of trowsers disengaged themselves from the waist of the tormer gentle- man, and fell to the ground. Fain would he have stooped to pick up the provoking garment; but Mr. Walker hurried him along at a furi- ous rate, the perspiration running down their faces as if they had just emerged froma shower-bath. Scarcely was the entrance gained, when a second pair of unmentionables—albeit mentioned before—followed the course adopted by its precursor, andawoke the suspicions of a waiter loitering near the gates. A slight circumstance somewhat unfavourable also to the singular appearance of the two gentlemen, was the amount of three thousand francs owing by Mr. Hook Walker to the proprietor of the hotel. The waiter accordingly acted with becomme caution, and requested Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Walker to accompany him mto the nearest room, if they did not wish to be forwarded to the adjacen guard-house. There was no other alternative than to accept this po- lite invitation, a proceeding that was unanimously agreed to and adopted by the individuals principally concerned in the matter. “This is very awkward—very ridiculous, indeed,” said Mr. Pick- wick, as he hastily divested himself of the great-ccat and other vest- ments which encumbered him. *“* Tt is a part of the French system,” was the consolatory reply given by Mr. Hook Walker. | _ So indeed it appeared to be; if Mr. Walker’s assertion might be _ corroborated by the fact of the entrance of the master of the hotel and half-a-dozen waiters, who cast no very loving looks upon Mr. Pickwick and his companion. “The rogues—the English vagabonds!” exclaimed the proprietor of _ the hotel in a desperate passion, which he shortly alleviated by such a be cont of French oaths as never before had met the ears of Mr. Pick- “De villains!” cried the waiters in unanimous anger and concert. “Mr. Pickwick rose to explam. The landlord would admit of no _ explanation; so Mr. Pickwick sate down again; and the abusive epi- _ thets, the oaths, and the passion were spoken or enacted once more, ‘ _ for the full behoof of the two English gentlemen. Eomichbooks fE(O) =)