The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 351: what you’re looking at

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

270 THE STEAM PACKET, lady was too much wrapped up in the loves of the hero and heroine of the piece then in progress, to lavish a thought upon lemonade or wine and water. The captain was therefore compelled to sit upon thorns for a quarter of an hour; at the exviration of which period he issued abruptly from the box, merely observing to Aramintha that he should return in a moment. He hastened to the saloon; and a hurried glance cast around imme- diately convinced him that the objects of his search were not there. Without wasting another moment, he rushed from the refreshment- room, hastened down stairs as if he had just committed a felony, and gained the street. He wandered up and down for a few minutes, debat- ing in his mind what course he should adopt, and exclaiming at inter- vals, “ What should I do if Tom should miss them? But he cannot —he will not—he is faithful and cunning! Shall I wait for him here, or hurry back to the hotel, and watch that quarter? Surely Buckram would not be fool enough to return there first? No—he is too sharp for that!” He was about to re-enter the theatre, and hasten back to Aramintha, when Tom Gibbins came up to him, puffing and panting like a eee winded horse. ‘Well, Tom—what news ?” cried the captain, hastily. ““They ’re off, sir, like a cork out of a shampain bottle,” returned Tom, wiping the perspiration from his expressive countenance. ‘“‘ Off, are they!” ejaculated Pentonville; ‘‘ tell me all the particu- lars.”’ ‘Vell, sir,” answered Tom, speaking with unusual volubility, tr lurked all the evenin’ about the door o’ this here theayter, as you told me; and about twenty minits or so ago, I twigs my lord and my lady a stealin’ rapidly out o’ the place. [I follows ’em ata distance, and they made straight down tovards the Roo de Leck Koo,* where a poshay vaited at the Hotel doo Nor. I hides myself under a gatevay, and sees ’em get in; and then avay goes the shay like mad. I madea inquiry of the English ostler as was there, and heerd they was bound for Paris.’’ | “¢ All right, Tom,’ ” cried the captain; ‘I shall now have an oppor- tunity of showing my good feeling towards Pifpaf, and corroborating by my deeds the words contained in that letter, which you must mind and give him to-morrow morning before breakfast. Have you got it safe ?”’ ‘Safe!’ ejaculated Tom, feeling in his coat pockets; ‘‘I never ‘ * Query Rue de l’Ecu ?—Printer's Devil. Gomichbooks'.co