Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 382: what you’re looking at

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

( 369 ) : CHAPTER XLV. THE HOSTILE PROCEEDINGS OF MR. NASSAU SIFFKIN AGAINST MR, HOOK WALKER,.-——-THE TRIAL THAT TAKES PLACE IN CONSEQUENCE, —MR, PICKWICK AND MR. SNODGRASS GiT OUT OF A CABRIOLET INTO A SCRAPE. It is delightful to trace the pursuits of memorable men. One fine mornmg Mr. Hook Walker, whose general appearance was toler- ably blooming, save in respect to his linen which seemed to indicate that he had lost the confidence of his washerwoman, was walking tranquilly and quietly up and down one of the secluded avenues in the Gardens of the Tuileries. His companion upon this occasion was no other than the erudite Mr. Septimus Chitty ; and from all we have been enabled to understand, we are induced to believe that this walk was the result of an appointment given the day before, having for its object the holding of a committee of ways and means for the purpose of alleviat- ing the pecuniary necessities of the two gentlemen forming the afore- said committee. Mr. Walker and Mr. Chitty having conceded to each other, with the most amiable condescension, the point ‘“‘that money must be raised,’ entered upon a lengthy debate upon the best method for accomplishing their purpose. When a government contracts loans and pays neither principal nor interest, the transaction is denominated a financial failure, or some such highly appropriate term; but when two gentlemen do the same, it is voted a decided swindle, because it does not happen to be upon a scale sufficiently grand. ‘This dilemma, therefore, Messieurs Walker and Chitty were desirous of avoiding. The former gave it as his firm opinion that ‘“‘they ought to do a bit of stiff; while the latter was equally persuaded of the propriety of **raising the wind by flying a kite.” They then unanimously agreed **that they were both already swimming in an actual sea of stiff;” and at lengtn resolved upon “making old Pickwick come down with the dust.” ‘‘ How shall we get a stamp?” enquired Mr. Hook Walker, tapping his breeches’ pocket, in which nothing but a bunch of keys sent forth metallic sounds. ‘““Ah! that’s the bore—aper est,’”’ returned Mr, Septimus Chitty. ‘*In a day or twolI shall receive a few pounds from England for a little poem I have written for a gentleman. But that is not to-day.” With this self-evident proposition Mr. Walker immediately con- curred. ‘‘And a deuced good poem it is too,” proceeded Mr. Chitty, his financial affairs being lost ina moment of poetic enthusiasm. ‘' Shall I read it to you 2” Mr. Walker did mutter something about a wish to condemn the poem to the regions inhabited by Pluto: but Mr. Chitty did not hear the remark. The poem was therefore inflicted upon Mr, Walker, as we Now inflict it upon our readers, 47 EOC KS (EO) =