The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

lot. THE STEAM PACKET; here for these last six weeks, and his bill is three hundred and nineteen francs. He ate and drank like a prince, I can tell you!” ‘Is he a Frenchman?” demanded Captain Pentonville. “No, a Pole—and quite the gentleman,” replied the landlady. “*The moment my husband has done up-stairs, sir, you shall see him.” Captain Pentonville was chattering in this way with the buxom landlady of the village inn,—for he was able, as we have before stated, to speak French with tolerable fluency, Lhd he fully understood it when it was addressed to himself,—when a stout honest-looknng man suddenly descended the stairs, and made his appearance at the bar. ‘‘A witness—a witness—a disinterested witness!” he exclaimed, glancing anxiously around. ‘“‘ He will die before we find one—and f ‘am to be included in his will!” ‘* A witness ?”’ said Captain Pentonville. “ What? to the signature of a dying man ?”’ “‘ Exactly what I want,’ cried the host; “and if you will take the trouble i “With pleasure!” interrupted the captain, who felt anxious—he scarcely knew why—to see the gentleman who was making his: will in a village inn, where he had run up a bill of twelve pounds sterling. The landlord led the way up-stairs, and the captain followed him into a chamber, where lay a person of about the middle age, and whose countenance certainly gave no evidence of speedy dissolution. ‘‘ Here is a witness,”’ said the landlord to the priest. ‘© God be thanked!” ejaculated the clergyman, who was site be the side of the bed: ‘‘ the church will not be deprived of the bounty ef this most truly penitent and pious Christian.” ““ Amen!” said the notary. ** My friends,”? murmured the invalid, ina voice which was certainly weak, but which, the captain could not help thinking, might have been a leetle more powerful, if its proprietor had chosen: “‘let us hasten and despatch this most unpleasant ordeal, for I feel—I feel—that i have not many moments to live.” ‘“‘ Proceed, my son,” said the priest. “Ff am prepared,” cried the notary, dipping his pen into the-ink for the ninth time, and arranging his papers straight upon the table before him for the sixteenth, since he entered the room. ‘“ Attention !”’ ejaculated the landlord. “*T, Jean Jacques Pierre Lievebewitz,” commenced the invalid , pulling an avail long face, ‘“‘do will and bequeath the sum of twenty thousand francs, standing on the Great Book of the Bank of France, in my. name, to—what is your name, holy father ?”’ Gomichbooks (E{0)