The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 21 which he paid his respects to the ladies; and cordial was the reception he experienced. Indeed, he was not exactly upon the footing of amere acquaintance: he behaved and was treated in the light of an intimate friend. ‘“‘ Well, I am sure! you have taken me quite unawares,” said Sarah fidgetting with her music-book: ‘‘I really did not hear you knock at the door.” **And I must apologise for interrupting your divine melody,” retumed the captain, with a smile. ‘‘ Ah! Miss Sarah, had you been educated in England, you would never have played like that!” ‘* And to have caught me jumping over the ottoman !” cried Belinda, concealing her face with her hands—which was quite unnecessary, as she was not blushing. *“Oh! I know you are all life and spikiteataiable Innocence !”’ ejaculated Captain Pentonville, raising his eyes to heaven. ‘‘ But how are you to-day, my dear edarh 2?” he added, turning towards Mrs. Pifpaf. ‘‘ Don’t ask me, Captain Pentonville,’ answered this truly-afflicted — and much-to-be-pitied lady: ‘‘ my poor head!—I am afraid I shall go distracted !”’ ** Ah! my dear madam,”’said the captain, sinking his voice almost to a whisper, ‘‘ you do indeed look delicate! you are a victim—a martyr ; but you bear it all with the patience and resignation of a saint.” The captain then approached Miss Pifpaf, and said in a soft and winning tone, while his eyes played second fiddle to his voice,—** And what, my dear Aramintha, may be the subject of your meudies 2” “‘ My favourite poet, Augustus—Byron, you know,” returned the young lady, playfully showing the page where she had been reading— or rather (to be quite correct) on which her eyes had been bent. _ Captain Pentonville, our readers will now perceive, was a man of extreme tact. In the short space of two minutes he had put the entire female portion of the Pifpaf family on most excellent terms with itself— and this without apparently travelling out of his way for the necessary compliments. He had flattered Miss Sarah by an allusion to her musical talents and her foreign education, upon which she so highly prided herself ;—he had pleased Belinda by appearing to consider her the romp which she affected to be;—he had won the heart of the mother by declaring that she really was delicate (although her. face was purple, and her forehead covered with perspiration, from the excitement pro- duced by the destruction of the jellies and creams) ;—and he had fixed additional chains round the heart of Aramintha, to whom he had spoken of her studies in such a soft and touching tone. Gomicbooks (E(0) m