The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 229: what you’re looking at

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

E72 THE STEAM PACKET. letter—I always keep copies of my gelite ae juet as I should the patterns and shapes of the suit (i ‘*T am really deeply indebted to your lordship for your show? opinion,” said Mr. Smale, whose countenance was again Hts with joy. ‘But at the same time—— ” ' Qh! here’s the letter,” said Buckram, whose hands had dived into all his pockets in apparent search after a copy of the very impor- tant document alluded to, and who now drew forth a long slip, all crumpled up together, but which, when unrolled, proved to be the last washing-bill delivered to him by Mrs. Gibbins in the slums behind Truman and Hanbury’s brewery. ‘‘ No—that isn’t it, though,” con- tinued the tailor, hastily returning the paper to his pocket: “ never mind, however, I wrote and sent it—that’s all I know; and to- morrow your name will be as familiar in the Archbishop’s mouth as “cabbage’ in that of a tailor.” ‘¢ That is an honour which I cannot too much appreciate, my lord,” said Mr. Smale. ‘* And now, perhaps, your lordship will allow me to relieve you from that task which nothing, save the excitement of the moment of peril, would have rendered me bold enough to impose upon your lordship.” ‘‘ My dear friend Smale, don’t talk of it—don’t mention it!” ejacu- lated Buckram, clapping his hands into his breeches’ pockets, and stretching out his legs so as to form an isosceles triangle with the ground ;—‘‘ the trouble is a pleasure, I can assure you; and as it is my intention to add-a thousand pounds 8 ‘“‘ That very instance of extreme kindness on the paft of your lord- ship renders it less necessary that I should make over my own money;. at least as yet, to Aunt Susan, my dear old grandmother, Mary Mur- gatroyd, and Tim Macarthy.” ‘Ah! Smale, Smale! don’t be extravagant!” said the tailor,. stg ing his head gravely: ‘‘ don’t go and spend the money in an idle and riotous manner—don’t waste your substance, my dear friend Smale! ” ‘* Nothing 1s farther from my purpose, my lord,” replied the clerk. “Indeed, my motive for soliciting your lordship to restore it to me is ‘to put it into the French Funds, which give six per cent. for money; and I have an opportunity of sending it on to Paris for investment this very morning.’ | ‘The devil!’ murmured Buckram. ‘But, Smale, my good fel- — low—don’t you think you'd better let me pay you the six per cent. ?— I should do.it much more safely than any bank in the world, because I am your friend—I admire, I respect you; and thus there is the motive of friendship superadded to that of duty.” Eomicbooks: co