Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 341: what you’re looking at

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

328 PICKWICK ABROAD. tne way into the coffee-room. ‘I think I’ve heard some of my friends mention that name before—but I can’t recollect who or when. Mine is Boloski-—Count Boloski of Bolosk, Varsovitch: I’m a Pole by birth, but I speak the English and French languages fluently.” Mr. Snodgrass bowed with great respect to Count Boloski, and felicitated himself in his own mind that he had fallen in with a noble- man of so distinguished a rank on his first arrival in France. He had heard that the foreign title of Count is equivalent to our’s of Earl; and he immediately assumed a most complacent smile and graceful attitude in the presence of the Polish peer. ‘‘Has your lordship been long in France?’ demanded Mr. Snod- grass, by way of saying something. ‘“‘T only came yesterday,’ returned the Count. ‘‘ But I pass five or six months every year in this country, and usually travel post. I hate the trouble of valets, and carriages of your own, and all that. Comfort is my study, as the Great—as my friend, Prince Poniatowski used to say,’ added the Count, correcting himself towards the termi- nation of the sentence. ‘ Your lordship is quite right—comfort is the essential,’’ said Mr Snodgrass. ‘‘ Thank you, my lord;” and Mr. Snodgrass took a pinch of snuff from a box which the Count presented to him. ‘““This box is a great curiosity,’ observed the Count, carelessly consigning it to his pocket. ‘It belonged to the Marquis of Bilko- krankovitch, my great, great, great, grandfather; and it saved his life at the battle of Killorlas by turning a musket ball when in his waistcoat-pocket, That’s the reason I value it; or else it’s no great beauty.” This last statement was a self-evident truth; for the snuff-box, although so highly prized, had every appearance of being an old three-and-sixpenny article worn and discoloured by long use. Mr, Snodgrass, however, viewed it with the most profound respect and admiration. “Two o'clock,’ said the Count, musing, as he drew a watch from his fob: then, in an apparently reckless manner, he added, ‘* Here’s another heir-loom which I value more than a thousand gold repeaters set round with pearls. This watch belonged to my great-grand- father’s grandfather’s mother’s sister’s uncle, the general who beat the Russians in the sanguinary combat of Slayemorlovitch.” | ‘¢ How very much it resembles one of the cheap English hunting- watches,” observed Mr. Snodgrass, surveying this curiosity with the same respect he had bestowed upon the snufi-box. ‘¢Ves—so it does,” exclaimed Count Boloski: ‘‘I never noticed that coincidence before. But since our minds are made up to go post, we’ll just order some dinner and then start in the cool of the evening. We shall get to Paris to-morrow night. You go to some hotel, of course?” ‘My friends have lodgings in Paris,” said Mr. Snodgrass, with a slight hesitation. ‘‘ They live in the Rue Royale, where your lordship will always be welcome. But perhaps your lordship has already heard of the name of Pickwick? He has madea little noise in the world,” ‘Pickwick!’ exclaimed the Count, with a sudden start. ‘*Oh}? decidedlv—I know that great man well—by name,” (@) Eomicbooks.¢o 5