The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 326: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 253 continued and terminated without further interruption : and Mademoi- selle Fanchon made herself, by a thousand little winning ways, and the language of the eyes, so agreeable to her partner, that he was actually hardy enough to make signs to her to remain his companion for the ensuing quadrille. The young lady, who most probably had some little motives of her own for exciting the jealousy of the huge gendarme, gladly acceded to the proposal; and in the interval they adjourned, with Mr. Buckram and his partner, to the restaurant adjoin- ing, to partake of refreshments. Mr. Pifpaf was sitting very close indeed to his amiable partner, and was dividing his attention between her and a glass of rum-punch, while she discussed a lemon ice and a cake, when a fierce and. well-known voice abruptly fell upon his ear, and he again found himself confronted by the hated giant gendarme. This time the police officer made his appearance with a French gentleman who spoke English fluently, and who in the most insinuating and polite terms in the world proceeded to acquaint Mr. Pifpaf ‘‘ that his friend (the gendarme) was most anxi- ous to have an opportunity of running him (Mr. Pifpaf) through the body; that no delay could be brooked ;. and that the affair must be settled quietly in a private room which had just been hired for the pur- pose, with lamps and all other conveniences.” | This announcement, although made with as much suavity and cour- tesy as if the message had been a matrimonial congratulation or an invitation to a party of pleasure, elicited a shriek and a flood of tears from the eyes of Mademoiselle Fanchon, drove all the colour from the cheeks of Mr. Buckram, and made Mr. Pifpaf tremble from head to foot like an aspen leaf. But nothing could equal the kind considera- tion and obliging disposition of the courteous Frenchman who. acted as the gendarme’s interpreter; for, perceiving that Mr. Buckram was amazed, and probably mistaking the cause, he whispered in bland accents to the tailor these consolatory words :—‘‘ My dear sir, I see that you do not choose your friend to have all the honour of this affair. I am precisely of your way of thinking on my side; and shall be most happy to: take a turn with you at rapiers, while my principal and yours settle their little differences.”’ These words fell like a sentence of transportation or death froma criminal judge upon the ears of the tailor, who, moreover, had the circumstances of his duel in Calais fresh in his memory. He waited but one moment for consideration ; and then, rising abruptly from his seat, rushed out of the room, overturning the table upon the polite _ Frenchman’s toes, and the tumblers of punch into his partner’s lap. Mr. Pifpaf, as if electrified by the sudden movement of the self-called Gomicbooks (E(0) m