The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

THE. STEAM PACKET. 145 fora division at once to s save you the nuisance of saint and. the House the d d bother of hearing you. 3 *" Well, and what took Baye 2” demanded Mr. Pifpaf, fnishing his brandy-and water. “Qh! the minister held i ae and I had a dinner given to me by the Opposition next day at the City of London Tavern. Didn't you, hear of it?” “I think I did, ” said Mr. Pifpaf. “Of course you must,” returned the tailor. ‘ But to return to our subject. Iam then to consider myself the accepted lover and future pusbaad of Belinda Pifpaf, your amiable daughter? Is that a bar- gain ?’ ‘It is,” answered the chairman. i Shake hands upon it !”’ cried the tailor: and they shook hands.. ** Shall we wet it?” “ Let us wet it,” assentingly returned Mr, Pifpaf. The tailor rang the bell again to order more brandy-and-water; and the two gentlemen poured forth such frequent libations to Bacchus, and drank to the health of Miss Belinda so frequently, that on the fol- lowing morning it was sufficient for them to know that they were-in their beds, without troubling themselves to conjecture how the deuce they got tere. Mr. Buckram was still rubbing his eyes, and thinking over the con- versation which he had had sith Mr. Pifpaf on the preceding evening, when Captain Pentonville entered his room. : ‘¢ Buckram, my good fellow,” said the captain, taking a chair by the side of the bed, and’addressing the tailor in a patronising manner, ‘‘ vou really must keep a bridle upon your tongue. You tell -stories which are even too monstrous for these fools of Luminaries to put faith in much longer; and I even noticed yesterday that Tiptile, the treasurer, looked at you with a very suspicious smile. You will spoil both your own schemes and mine if you go on at this silly rate.” - “T beg you to mind your own business, Captain Pentonville,’’ said the tailor, in an impudent and independent tone. “ Follow your mode of proceeding, and allow me to pursue mine.” | _ “TJ do not want to interfere with you, my good fellow,” answered the captain: ‘‘all I wish is, that if you intend to make your fortune out of this adventure i ‘“‘ Intend!” ejaculated the tailor indignantly: ‘‘ of course Ido. Do you think I go on dawdling and fooling about as you do? No—not 1! I smooth the seams while the iron is hot! Didn’t you-see me take old Pifpaf aside Jast evening and | L 992 (E@) CONMIECLOOOL<S