The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

144 THE STEAM PACKET. pleasant revelation just made to him, rang the bell, and ordered in two glasses of hot brandy-and-water. ‘And so you do not disapprove of my passion ?’’ continued the tailor, rendered still more emollient by the punch; ‘‘and you will not refuse your daughter the chance of being Lady Noodleton of Diddle- ham Hall, Notown? Well—I have always liked you, from the first’ moment that Ponougilie ever mentioned your name to me, in the baek slums there, behind “Where, my lord 2” “Oh! in the fashionable crib, you know, behind the House of Lords!” said the tailor. ‘‘ Ah! how well do I remember saying to the Archbishop of Canterbury one evening, in the House, ‘ Old fellow,’ said I—for we are very intimate—‘ I must get an introduction to the amiable family of the celebrated chairman of the Luminaries.’-—‘ Ah! do,’ says his grace, ‘and tell them to drop in any time and take pot luck with me at Lambeth Palace. The steamers will bring him and all his family down there from the City for fourpence a-piece.’”’ ‘‘Did his grace really say that, though ?”’ dened the cchee Mr. Pifpaf. sf One “On the honour of a tai— a nobleman!” ddenisg replied Mr, Buckram, striking his breast, d la Macready, with his right palm. “ But with regard to my little love-affair?—-What say you ?—There is a rent in my heart, and no power on earth could fine-draw it. I love her—I love her devotedly !—All I have shall be at her disposal.— Diddleham Hall—Nosuch Place—and my village of pia i: free. holders in the Chiltern Hundreds!” ‘¢ Your lordship is generesity itself!’ said Mr. Pifpat. ““T take it upon myself to say, in my name and in the name of Mrs, Pifpaf, that we feel highly honoured by your lordship’s choice. Has she. lord- ship spoken to Belinda?” ‘‘ Only with the eyes, old fellow,” replied the tailor; ‘‘ and his I flatter myself—are as expressive as a whole dictionary. I think she ~ is not averse to me—I think, indeed, that she loves me.” ‘The time of acquaintance has been very short,” observed Mr, Pifpaf. ‘Is your lordship sure that you will not repent the precipita- tion—the hurry—the haste—in which this resolve hasbeen adopted ?” _ © Never—never!’ answered the tailor. ‘ What is my public con- duct ?—consult it, and see if Ierr! Always precipitation! What did I say to the Foreign Minister the other night in the House, when he was about to bring forward a motion, of the nature of which I had not the most distant idea? ‘ My lord,’ says I, ‘ whatever you ’re going to say is wrong; and I’ll prove it beforehand. I shall therefore move / GEomicbooks.co ‘ . * ~ , . ee —S