The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

236 THE STEAM PACKET. ‘‘As Jonah, then,” resumed Mrs, Snork. ‘And such a stomach ! My eyes! sucha stomach! I’ve heerd speak of a ostrich’s stomach— but that arn’t nothink to my child’s, bless her! Vy, sir, that little tiny animal could heat a hox Cus the thing; how I wish 7 get some answer to that there love-letter o’ yourn!” | So affected was Mrs. Snork by the mournful Jelicatheia shih crowded to her mind, and her suspense relative to Mr. Latitat’s propo- sal to Miss Belinda Pifpaf, that she was compelled to help herself toa — glass of strong waters, a bottle of which stood upon the mantel. She then—quite abstractedly, of course—handed a glass to her master; and he, with equal absence of mind, drank the contents. Scarcely — was this little ceremony performed, when a step ascended the stairs— a knock was heard at the door—and in another moment a strange — gentleman entered the room with an awful swagger. ‘Your servant, sir?’’ said Mr. Latitat. L ‘‘Servant, indeed! ”’ ejaculated the visitor. ‘‘l am the Right Ho- nourable the Ear! of Noodleton, sir, of Diddleham Hall, Notown ;— and I would have you understand, sir, that I am come on the part of a lady, sir—a young lady—to assure you that your addresses are as unpleasant—as—as a tight pair of breeches, sir, on a warm day— and that the sooner you desist from sending your love-letters, the more agreeable will it be to all parties.” ** What do you mean, sir 8 ‘‘< My lord,’ if you please,” said Buckram correctively. ‘* Well, my lord, then,” continued the lawyer, who was not wanting in animal courage, and who rose from his seat, clenching a fist large enough to fell an ox, as his visitor spoke a second time; ‘“‘ well, my lord—and what is it to your lordship, if I do make love, in my own way, to a pretty gal? Let me tell your lordship, that it isn = every one would receive an offer e om Lyttleton Latitat.” ‘““T dare say, my dear sir,”’ cried the tailor, retreating toward the door, and speaking with a conciliatory civility, “that you have meant | everything that is honourable and straightforward—as I told the Tory Minister last session, when he wanted to pass a bill to make poverty a transportable offence, instead of the mere affair of a few days at the treadmill; but it won’t do. The young lady is engaged—engaged to me, sir,’’ added the so¢-disant nobleman, opening the door a little wider as he spoke ; “‘and I cannot permit any other person ’’— here he got upon the threshold—‘ to interfere between us.” ) ‘¢QOh! you can’t—can’t you?” ejaculated the corpulent lawyer; and seizing the poker, he rushed towards his rival with settked deter- ~ mination of ‘‘ doing for him.” Gomicbooks (e{0) aire >