The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

2596 THE STEAM PACKET. by my servant—money, to save me from want, after all my conduct towards him! ”’ | “* Excellent friend !’”’ exclaimed Sir William Staunton, grasping Mr. Pifpaf’s hand: “ sincerely do I hope that the future behaviour of my nephew will efface all remembrance of past errors.” “‘ Not a word more—not a word more, my dear sir,” said Mr. Pif- paf; ‘‘ I always liked him—he knows it; and he will be a good boy yet. But where is that faithful fellow, Tom ?”’ “‘T ans’ers to that ’ere name, sir,” cried Mr. Gibbins, emerging from his corner, and wiping his eyes with his coat-sleeve : then glanc- ing around the party assembled, he said, ‘‘ Wery glad to have the plea- sure o’ seein’ a real lord at last, instead o’ that there Brummagem von ; —also wery much pleased, sir, to see a uncle as comes to help his nevy out o’ difficulties vithout rek-ning security and interest at twenty per cent. ;—wery glad, Captain Pentonweal, to hear that you ’re all right - vonce more ;—and wery exceedin’ happy, sir,” with a salutation te Mr. Pifpaf, ‘‘ to think that you won’t have no unpleasantness to inter- rupt the harmony of your thoughts, sir, next time you takes the cheer at the club.” Having delivered himself of this oration, Mr. Gibbins felt suddenly abashed, and was about to withdraw once more to his corner, when SIT William Staunton satd with a smile, “‘ We thank you for your kind wishes, Tom, and I shall not forget your fidelity to my nephew.: Now run and tell the gaoler that Lam ready to pay the amount for which your master is detained.” Tom departed, and speedily returned with the superintendent of the prison, who received the money which procured the captain’s release, with a handsome gratuity for himself, from the hands of Sir William Staunton. The little party was then about to depart, when Mr. Smale, who had been very fidgetty for the last five minutes, suddenly ex- claimed, ‘ But am I to have no redress for the loss of my hundred and WGlae pounds, of which that swindler Buckram plundered me ?2”’ “Tf you have lost anything through him, sir,” said Sir William Staunton, ‘‘ I will repay you with pleasure—for my nephew’s sake. Not a word more upon that subject at present, if you please.” Mr. Smale coloured up to the hair of his head, and muttered his thanks in somewhat unintelligible terms; for the Custom-house clerk was quite overpowered by the idea of being actually in the presence of a live lord and a live baronet at one and the same moment—es- pecially, too, as there could be no possible mistake about the reality of their rank and titles. He had half a mind to address one word tothe Gomichbooks (E(0)