The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

24 THE STEAM PACKET. extraordinary things than that have happened in this world. Look at Thiers—he rose from nothing; so did Soult—so did Guizot!” “So tne did! ’’ coincided Mr. p Atipaes ‘‘ they rose from ete = nothing.”’ ‘And I flatter myself that I am Seiden said the captain, fill a complacent smile. “Well, I shall see you a general yet, before I die, I hope,” sdded Mr. Pifpaf, glancing at the same time towards Aramintha, as much as to say, that he hoped also to see hera general’s lady. ‘‘ But—by the by —when I think of it—what regiment did you serve in, Pentonville? ”’ ‘“¢ See me a general before you die!” exclaimed the captain, who did not appear to have heard the question last put tohim. ‘‘ Why, of course you will, my dear sir. Let me tell you, that your life is just as good as mine—every bit. But, my dear madam, I am afraid so much talking disturbs you—I sai how acutely you suffer, and how patiently you bear it all; and ‘Pray don’t think of me, Captain Pentonville,” said the lady, with a melancholy smile of thanks for his kind—his humane—his really Christian-like sympathy; ‘“‘my lot is a severe one—but I can sup- port it!” Mrs. Pifpaf turned her eyes upwards, and fixed them upon a fly on the ceiling, with an angelic expression of resignation and Christian fortitude. There was a short pause, during which Aramintha marked a favourite passage in her Byron with a rose-leaf; Sarah touched a note of the piano; Belinda leapt over the ottoman; Mrs. Pifpaf pressed both her hands to her poor head; Mr. Pifpaf fidgetted, because dinner was not announced; and Contain Pentonville surveyed. ee in the mirror. That solemn pause was interrupted by the entrance of another poe who was expected ; and whom Mr. Pifpaf presented to the captain by the name of Mr. Humm Bugg. | | Captain Pentonville started slightly when this gentleman was in- troduced to him, and protested that he had never been acquainted with him peforep tea assertion which every one present appeared to con- sider quite unnecessary. The captain immediately recovered his self- possession, and took a hasty survey of the person of Mr. Humm Bugg. He was a man of about sixty:years of age, with thin white hair, and no whiskers. His eyes were large and staring, and seemed precisely as if they had been boiled. He was short, thin, and bustling. His attire was by no means in unison with the class of society which Mr. Pifpaf might be supposed, and Mrs. Pifpaf wished it to be supposed, that they Gomicbooks