The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 367: what you’re looking at

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

286 e: THE STEAM PACKET, in the Cheetman’s head, that the Hot-tel Tiameetneaen wos the cheapeute ; ahd so ve vent there.” ‘¢ Well, and what 2 ?” said the sleek waiter, oft ‘could not com- prehend to what point all this explanatory harangue was tending—un- — less, indeed, it were to the announcement that the travellers alluded to felt very uncomfortable at the Hotel d’Angleterre, and intended to transfer themselves without delay to the Hotel des Bains: “Vell,” continued Tom, ‘Sven I was at Dunkirk, I wrote Pe a young lady which 1s a chamber-maid in a hot-tel at Margate, and told her to address her answer here. So if so be you’d have the kindness; old dot-and-go-von, to see if you ’ve e’er a letter for von Tummas Gib- bins, Eskvire, I’d be obleeged to you.” | : “Ts dat all?” ejaculated the astonished and dictioponsicll waiter. ‘* Not quite,” pay it—and that’s ieand under many obligations for your sit , said Tom; ‘‘ cos if there’s any postage to pay I ‘I ‘“¢ Dat is all, den?” cried the waiter. ie ‘** Nothin’ more at present,’”’ answered Tom, cocking his hat on one side of: his head, and then whistling a tune extremely popular in Saint Giles’s and other equally fashionable quarters of the English metro- polis. The waiter proceeded to the office, or counting-house; attached to the hotel, and returned in a few minutes with a letter, which he de- livered to Mr. Gibbins, who paid the amount of postage demanded. Tom then left the hotel, and proceeded to read his epistle in the street; The employment seemed a satisfactory one, as agleam of joy illumined the ‘expressive countenance of Captain Pentonville’s valet; and in case the reader should be curious to know what sort of a reply the amo- rous epistle given in Chapter XIII. of this most veracious history could elicit, we adopt the only measure which may lead to the gratification — of his curiosity—viz. the insertion of the reply itself. The document tan as follows :— | é Ma. te ON DERE STA i ‘* I reseaved your kind letter and hasten. to atnser by return of shai I don’t a hesitate to awow that your conversation made a great im- preshun on my mind, and that your letter was calkilated to improve it; but the men is such deseavers, and young gals gets so often taken in, that no prudent female as calls herself wirtuous and chased, will admit a suddin pashun. Mr. Gibbings, my art promps me to confess that I never have had no follerer yet; and that if I do think serously of changin’ my condishun at enny time, I don’t mean to say but what I should hike to take a walk out with you on Sunday afternoon, and go to chapel 4 Gomicbooks com >