The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

150 THE STEAM PACKET, IN WHICH THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN PENTONVILLE AND MR. | BUCKRAM ARE CONTINUED. GRAVELINES Is a small and gloomy town; fortified in the usual style of French strongholds ; and possessing a good har- importance in a commercial point of \ view ; and many years ago, previous to nae a s the establishment of the coast blockade 5. Whe point from which to run a contraband . eargo to the opposite territory. The — _* ~~ hotelsat Gravelines are very indifferent— a circumstance to be aeeounteed for by the fact, that no coaches pass through the town save those from Calais to Dunkirk, nor ts there any diligence direct from Gravelines to Paris. Captain Pentonville sped rapidly along the street with which the garden of the hotel communicated; and in a few moments he found himself at the gate of the town opening upon the Calais road. He did not relax his speed. for some time ;: but, totally mdifferent to the fate of Buckram, seemed to act upon the proverb of “ Each man for him- self, and God for us all.” At length, wearied and. exhausted, he seated himself at the foot of a tree, and soon fell into a most gloomy medi- tation. The loss of Aramintha, with her dower, upon which he calcu- lated as a little certainty, was a severe blow, particularly after the trouble and pains he had taken to ingratiate himself into the favour of her parents, and; maintain his. position there. Besides which, he was more or less attached to.the young lady; and as, if we must speak the truth, he had no. pecuniary resources on which to fall back (although some very distant expectations from an old uncle who had accumulated a fortune in the East Indies, where he was still residing), his situation altogether was far from enviable. It was true that he had plenty of ready money in his pocket; but that would make itself wings and fly away 5 and it was not always so easy to find a Timothy Pifpaf to act as one’s banker. While the captain was thus wrapt up in his infelicitous ruminations, the sounds of rapid footsteps fell upon his ears. He glanced hastily bour. It isa place of some considerable — upon the English shores, was a favourite Gomichbooks:.co