The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

Ry | THE STEAM PACKET. 4 ‘but if he should ask you where I live, invent any excuse—do anything —say anything—but mind and don’t let that cat out of: the bag. - That’s all—evaporate—begone !”’ Mr. Thomas Gibbins took the letter and his adit and him will the narrative follow for the present. He proceeded straightway to Mr. Pifpaf’s house, whither he had frequently been sent on messages before; and that gentleman was not at home. Thomas then repaired to the Musical Bee, where Mr. Pifpaf was adorning one corner of the parlour down-stairs. He had ‘taken his chop” there, in consequence of a little domestic tempest at home, resulting from his amiable lady’s ‘“‘ poor head ;”’ and he was just in the middle of his second tumbler of punch and a long argument upon the Corn-Laws, when Mr. Gibbins entered the room. The reader will of course understand that this was not a “luminary night,” as Mr. Pifpaf was accustomed to say; and therefore he was ensconced down stairs, instead of up stairs. There was ‘ excellent company”’ in the parlour—if one could but see them through the tobacco smoke; and as the liquor was very good, and the gentleman in the fustian coat was very fond of an argument, and the tall young man in the Macintosh sang a capital song, it was all very cozy and comfortable. Such was the scene from which Mr. Gibbins summoned Mr. Pifpaf. , Mr. Pifpaf perused the letter: his face grew dark when he saw that the captain was in a dilemma;—it brightened again when he perceived that Lord Noodleton had a great respect for him and all his family ;—a cloud again lowered upon that expressive countenance when he came to the eighty pounds;—but his features became absolutely radiant when his eyes encountered that splendid allusion which the captain had introduced to his classical attainments. Poor Mr. Pifpaf knew as much of Latin as he did of Hebrew; and hence his delight. ‘‘ This letter bears no date,” he said, fidgetting it in his hand. ** Don’t it, raly, sir?”’ said Tom, abruptly. “No, it doesn’t, my good man—nor yet any address. I don’t exactly know where the captain lives—not exactly—but I believe it’s somewhere in the neighbourhood of—of—hem?” added Mr. Pifpaf, looking inquiringly up into the messenger’s face. ‘‘No vonder, sir, that the address and the date isn’t to the letter, ‘cause the captain wrote it in a awful skitter. The pen vent over the paper like a lokimotive—railroads wasn’t nothin’ to it!” ‘‘Ah! I see—I understand,” observed Mr. Pifpaf. ‘‘ But in what neighbourhood did you say your master lived, my Eos fellow?” he added in a most insinuiadns tone. Gomichbooks (E(0)