The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 27 happily enough ; and all present were well pleased. Mr. Pifpaf was enabled to drink as much wine as he chose, without being kept in awe by his wife;—Mrs. Pifpaf had a considerable variety of persons to whom she could talk about her poor head;—Miss Aramintha was called upon to recite a little poem which she had composed upon “* The late attempt to assassinate a chimney-sweeper on Tower Hill ;”— Miss Belinda succeeded.in seducing a young lady in her teens to accompany her.to the breakfast parlour, where they had a fine game of romps together ;—Miss Sarah was much complimented upon her: musical proficiency ;—and the guests were provided with excellent things in the-shape of eatables and drinkables. CHAPTER IV. IN WHICH THE CHARACTER OF CAPTAIN PENTONVILLE STILL FAKTHER : DEVELOPS ITSELF. A rortnicut after the dinner-party, Captain Pentonville was sitting in his own apartment, smoking a cigar at the open window. This apart-' ment was ten feet long, by eight wide, and had an angular roof, inas- much as it was just beneath the tilings. Captain Pentonville had resided in the same house for about three years. He found it con- venient, because the neighbourhood (Spitalfields) was retired, and free from the frequent chances of invasion on the part of those modern Goths whom the sheriffs of counties take into their service; and he had, moreover, created a little credit at the chandler’s shop at the corner of the street, and at the public-house over the way, which was remarkably useful on occasions when his funds were short. As he was seldom at home, he contented himself with an humble (although an exalted) portion of the house; and the landlady’s son—a young man about two-and-twenty—cleaned his boots, brushed his clothes, and “ did his errands.” | ; - Captain Pentonville dined at hie upon the present occasion, . ecuitte he had to make his little preparations for the aquatic trip, which was to commence next morning. The committee had settled all preliminaries; the steam-packet was engaged; the cards were disposed of; and the whole arrangements had been satisfactorily completed. The captain returned home at three, partook of a mutton-chop, sent to the public-house for a pint of rum, drew forth his cigar-case, and settled himself in a comfortable position at the Gomichbooks (E(0)