The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 394: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 307 The comniissioner muttered something about ‘ precept being better than example, and disappeared from the parlour, to regale his friends in the kitchen with the particulars of the conversation he had just had with the impostor-nobleman. Mr. Buckram retired to his couch, and slept soundly, notwithstand- ing the change his condition had so lately undergone, the defeat he had experienced in his hopes of obtaining a wealthy bride, and the disagreeable necessity under which he would shortly find himself of returning to his needle, goose, shears, and other professional instru- ments for the means of livelihood. He awoke early, and determined - to leave without delay a town where he had met with so many disas- ters. A packet was about to depart for Dover, and although the morning was gloomy and the weather stormy, he summoned all his resolution to his aid, and embarked... In due time he reached Dover, and thence he proceeded outside the coach to London. That highly respectable and very industrious lady, Mrs. Gibbins, had just ‘‘ seconded ’”’ some shirts which she was washing for one of Truman and Hanbury’s draymen—and, God knows, they might have been ‘“ thirded ” and “ fourthed ” too, with very great advantage ;— she had, moreover, just ‘‘ seventhed ” her application to a mysterious black bottle which was carefully kept. behind a large jar of pickled onions in the cupboard,— when a loud knock at the front door drew her arms from the suds,.and her attention from the shirts. Muttering. -to herself something about the hardships of the world in general, and ef a washerwoman’s life in particular, this most exemplary woman wiped her arms upon her apron, and her nose upon her wrist, and then proceeded to open the door of her dwelling. ‘“‘ Lor, Mr. Buckram !”’ she exclaimed, the moment the portal was unfolded, and the countenance of the tailor met her eyes; ‘‘ well— who ’d ha’ thought it? But pray come in—and tell us all about what you ’ve seen and done, and vere Tom is—and vether he’s a good boy —and if so be they has good gin in France.’’ Thus chattering, Mrs. Gibbins conducted the tailor into her own apartment, and, by way of affording him an opportunity, by compari-_ son, of replying to her last query, instantly produced the mysterious bottle before alluded to.. Mr. Buckram was hungry, and Mrs. Gibbins also remembered that it was supper-time ; and so, as Mr. Buckram sup- plied the money, she just stepped out “‘ fora summut to eat.” On her return with hot boiled beef and greens from the nearest cook’s-shop, Mr. Buckram could not help sighing as he thought of the poulets truffés and the delicate vols-au-vent which he had eaten in France ; and when the worthy old lady, after a second exit, reappeared with a ; xu | Gomicbooks (E@)