The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

2 I THE STEAM PACKET. 215 the wife of the Emperor Napoleon! In 1804, the imperial purple adorned the shoulders of herself and her heroic husband; and the principal lady in attendance upon Josephine was Pauline, then Baroness d’Alvimar. CHAPTER XX. IN WHICH THE ADVENTURES AT THE CAFE’ LE GRAND ARE FIRST NARRATED5 AND THESE ARE FOLLOWED BY A HISTORY OF THE EVER MEMORABLE INSURRECTION HEADED BY RUMTUTCH. Mr. Bameross did not terminate his narrative until the hour ap- proached when the Luminaries were to dine; and Mr. Pifpaf, as a species of acknowledgment for his civility in acting as guide and explaming the various objects worthy of attention in Calais, in- vited him to partake of the re- past. We need scarcely observe, that Mr. Bambross did not require a very great deal of pressing, but suffered himself, without much demur, to be conducted: to Quillacq’s Hotel at the appointed hour. Nothing remarkable occurred during the banquet; and, after having amply refreshed themselves with all manner of good things in the shape of eatables and drinkables, the Luminaries began to separate, to amuse themselves each in the way which pleased him most. Mr. Bambross, who was left with Mr. Pifpaf, the tailor, Captain Pentonville, and Mr. Smale, proposed to introduce those gentlemen to the best café in the town—an offer which was immediately accepted. They accordingly proceeded to the Café le Grand, in the Rue du Havre, which, at the hour when they entered it, was crowded with visitors. At one table sat a group of French officers, drinking burnt punch, or Bishop, and smoking—some cigars, others pipes,—but still finding leisure to allow their tongues to rattle away nineteen to the dozen. It seemed as if they were all speaking at once; and their discourse was accompanied with such violent gesticulation, that Mr. Pifpaf suggested the propriety of retreating, as they were most probably quarrelling, and com (@) sDOOKS:.