The Argosy — page 373: what you’re looking at

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

ly Cpr ri MiSs Ss mt tu.t Ow By HENRY KINGSLEY, Author of “ Ravenshoe.” N all the confusion of the inn at Bouillon, George Dickson could not help noticing that wherever he went one pair of eyes followed him, as if to gain his attention. He, however, said to himself, “ You have a tongue, my French friend, and can speak if you choose,” and then thought nothing more about the matter, but gazed on the extra- ordinary scene before him. The end of the world seemed to have come ; people were eating on the floor, on the hearth-stone, on the beds, and on the billiard-table. They were eating indiscriminately everything they could get hold of, and drinking everything which was liquid. Some were still asleep where they had fallen down the night before; others were scarcely yet awake; some, drunk all night, were not yet sober, and some who had slept themselves sober, seemed inclined to get drunk again. There was a ghastly hilarity about the whole thing which disgusted George and made his two companions eagerly acquiesce in immediate departure. ‘Let us get on, and get it over,” he remarked, “ anything is better than these excited boozing wretches.” Then the Frenchman who had watched George came up, and taking him aside said, in perfectly good English, ‘‘ Sir, I am going to ask for a very great favour. Will you allow me to accompany you?” “Really, sir,” said George, “our expedition is none of the most pleasant or safe.”’ | ‘¢ Exactly ; but you have two passes, while I have actually no papers at all.” ‘¢‘T cannot recommend your going forward, sir.” “No. I should not recommend it myself. I only ask it as a favour. My sister is at school in the town, while yours, Mr. Dickson, is safe in London. Come, sir, go bail for me, and let me go on with you. If London was sacked, I would do the same by you.” “You seem to know me, sir,” said George, very much surprised. ‘‘Tf you know much about me, you must be aware that I have trusted a stranger once too often in my life, and that I am not prepared to trust another.? ‘Don’t say that,” said the Frenchman. “I know that you are only here as newspaper correspondent. Because you trusted a Frenchman who was false to you, I will not be so. I pray you most earnestly to let me go to the front with you, and get news of =e sister. Surely you cannot refuse.” aw “But, my dear sir, you might be a spy for anything I know,” said. George. | Gomicbooks.Gom