The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 0 ** He sucked at me like bricks and mortar,” answered Mr. Gibbins; *“ leeches ain’t nothin’ at all to it!” “ But you kept close?” said the captain, anxiously. ** Down as the knocker at Newgate, sir. Them was your instruc. tions.” ‘Well and good. Now go and get change for this thirty pounder; they ll give you small shot for it at the public-house,” cried the captain. ) | ““ Von’t they rek-vire your sign manival at the back on it?” de- manded the cautious and far-seeing Mr. Gibbins. “< Of course,” responded the captain; and the endorsement was given accordingly. ‘‘ Now, then—tell the tailor to come to me, and be off to change the money.” | Mr. Gibbins departed, and the tailor shortly made his appear- ance. Now, a tailor is a man to whom such gentlemen as Captain Pentonville frequently entertain a great aversion—especially at the commencement of term-time, when, if their accounts have run a long time, they have no alternative but to follow their accounts’ example. The tailor, whe now entered the captain’s apartment, was a bit of a buck in his way, although he only rented a garret; but these same men are elevated very high at times by their professional exertions. Mr. Buckram was one of this species. He was, more- over, young, tall, not bad looking, and had a dash of assumption and rakish indifference about him, which, in certain quarters, may very well pass off for the easy manners of the gentleman. He possessed very white teeth—looked out of a pair of large hazel optics—was the undisputed proprietor of a luxuriant head of hair—and sported a _ handsome watch and chain which he had procured at a shop round the corner, where ‘‘ weekly payments”’. were taken,—although, in his peculiar case, we are afraid that no payments were taken at all. “<Sit down, Mr. Buckram,” said the captain; “take a cigar, Mr. Buckram—help yourself to some grog, Mr. Buckram. [ have sent for you,” he continued, when alli these suggestions were fully complied with; ‘‘I have sent for you to ascertain whether your commissariat department would enable you to supply my man-servant, Thomas Gib- bins, with a complete suit of livery —nice genteel livery—at a moment’s notice—cash down upon the nail.” ; ““My entire commissariat department, in reference to such-like clothing,” replied the tailor, ‘‘ consists of a pair of black pantaloons, into which I have just been putting a blue seat, and a chocolate- coloured coat with black” patches at the elbows. Those are all the garments I have for sale in my bezestein.”’ | D2 Gomichbooks (E(0)