Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 362: what you’re looking at

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

PICKWICK ABROAD. 345 “This is very singular,” said Mr. Kallaway; ‘‘ but perhaps the por- ter took them down with him when I came in,” suggested the ex. farmer, whose memory did not retam a very strong impression of what had passed on his arrival in the middle of the might. The *‘ boots” hastened to the porter’s lodge, and in five minutes returned accompanied by that guardian genius himself. ‘“¢ For heaven’s sake, what is the matter?”’ demanded Mr. Kallaway, again starting up in his bed; for he was quite alarmed at the horror- struck countenances of the two servants. “What, are you here, AZonsieur ?” demanded the porter, with as- tonishment. “* Here !’’ ejaculated Mr. Kallaway. ‘“ Why, did you not let me in last night, yourself?” ““ Certainly,” replied the porter: ‘‘ and did you not leave the hotel this morning at about three o’clock ?” **I—no !”’ said Mr. Kallaway, looking at himself, te assure himself that he himself, and no one but himself, was in that bed. ** Then it was a ghost!” cried the porter; “‘for he had your cloak on—1I could swear to it, as [ looked through the small window before I pulled the cord to open the door.” Mr. Kallaway now recollected his dream, and began to suspect that it was a little more connected with some horrid reality, than he had at firstimagined. He immediately communicated his suspicions to the porter and the ‘* boots.” “There were some Gendarmes who arrived in the night about two, or a little before,” said the porter; ‘“‘and the person whom they came after, made his escape by the windows, asl heard Mr. Law- son say just now.” “Then the whole thing is explained !” cried Mr. Kallaway, sitting bolt upright in his bed; ‘and I must go home in my shirt !” The porter and ‘‘ boots” burst out into a violent fit of laughter, and rushed out of the room to hasten and inform their fellow-servants of Mr. Kallaway’s dilemma; while that geutleman, indignant at being thus deserted in the midst of his troubles, gave one peel at the bell to cali them back, and snapped the wire of communication in halves with the force, the rope remaining in his hands. Capers are generally considered to be a remedy for boiled mutton and low-spirits; but most extraordinary were the capers which Mr. Kallaway cut in his room, when he had destroyed the only means of summoning any one to his assistance. He jumped out of bed, and danced about the chamber like a madman; and then he opened the; window, and shouted “ Garcon /” atthe top of a very irritated voice and then he resumed his antics; and lastly, he threw himself ex- hausted upon the bed. The part of the hotel in which he was lodged was too distant from the main court-yard, mto which it did not look, to enable him to make any one hear his cries: and the porter and “boots” quite forgot that he might require their assistance; for the whole hotel was agog at the adventures which had occurred during the night. Mr. Kallaway was driven to the very verge of desperation ; for the adjacent clock of the Louvre informed him m a very short time that it was ten, and he had several appointments of consequence to keep that is at Eomichbooks (ECO) = } 7)