The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 293 “They have rung the note of war!” cried Sarah, striking her fingers upon the chords of the harp, as if her hands were made of iron and the strings of wire. ‘* Aramintha,”’ said Captain Pentonville, “tell me, in the name of God, what is the matter 2?” ‘‘ Alas! my poor head!” murmured Mrs. Pifpaf: ‘‘I shall go dis- tracted !” ** The villains whom I mentioned just now,” said Aramintha, in reply to her lover’s adjuration, ‘‘ have broken forth into rebellion. They have formed themselves into a—what, Sarah ?”’ ‘* Into a jJaunting-car,” replied that young lady mysteriously. ‘“‘ No—into a junta,” said Belinda, correctively. ‘‘ Yes—into a junta of safety,’ continued Aramintha; “‘and we consider that this junta of safety is the most dangerous institution in the world.” ** What does the girl mean?” demanded Mr. Pifpaf, whose mind was somewhat obfuscated with the burnt punch. ‘“* Here, papa—read—see!”’ cried Aramintha, presenting a long sheet of blue foolscap to her father; but as Mr. Pifpaf was quite un- able to read, and scarcely able to see, Captain Pentonville hastened to make known its contents to his companions :— ““ We, the undersigned, have for some time perceived, with pain and grief, the total incapacity of Timothy Pifpaf to govern a great and powerful fraternity like the Honourable and Independent Order of Lu- minaries;—we consider that he is surrounded by evil counsellors of principles too notoriously aristocratic to be compatible with the liber- ties of the said Honourable and Independent Order ;—we moreover feel convinced, that his obstinacy alone led to the sudden embarkation from Dunkirk, and the contingency of shipwreck between that town and Gravelines ;—and, lastly, we conceive that the said Timothy Pifpaf meditates treason towards those who have elected him as their Presi- dent ; and that he only awaits a favourable opportunity to render him- self despotic. ‘¢ Under these circumstances, and with a view to preserve the rights and liberties of the Luminaries inviolable and intact, we have resolved and do resolve as follows : | ‘¢<¢T. Timothy Pifpaf is removed from the presidential seat of the _ Honourable and Independent Order of Luminaries. «© ¢TJ, The undersigned constitute themselves a Junta of Public Safety, to direct the affairs of the Honourable and Independent Order Gomichooks (E(0)