The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

40 THE STEAM PACKET. servants, or any kind of incumbrance!” ejaculated Mr. Buckram, delighted with this idea, and totally heedless of the admonitory kicks which Captain Pentonville gave him under the table; for this pro- posed arrangement by no means suited the plans of that gallant officer. — ‘All that is exactly what I mean!” cried Mr. Pifpaf. “ Aramintha will be delighted—Belinda will leap over the moon—and Sarah wilh welcome you with her most select: airs, Even Mrs. Pifpaf herself "—e ‘be in a good humour.”’ “T accept ot generous offer, Pifpaf,”” exclaimed the self-styled nobleman; “‘and I shall be delighted to make myself agreeable to Adelinda, Berenice, and Susannah; so give us your hand upon it, old fellow, and my love to the girls when you get home! ” Hands were accordingly shaken, and the supposititious nobleman and the ex-pork-butcher puddedly became as intimate as good wine - could render them. Captain Pentonville was astounded ; he now per- ceived the extent of his folly in allowing the tailor to assume the noble- man; but it was too late to retreat. He, however, essayed to avert a areas which by no means pleased him, nor seemed to dovetail with his own arrangements. . * But, my dear Noodleton, only reflect,” said the captain, bestow- ing a kick of most significant violence upon the tailor; ‘‘ how can you possibly abandon your political duties at such a crisis?” . ‘¢ Deuce take the duties! ’’ was the laconic answer. ‘“ And the chance of becoming Prime Minister?” continued the captain, with a smile. “May go to the devil, too!’’ rejoined the obstinate tailor. “ But your law-suit against the Premier?’’ added the captain, coaxingly. : ‘‘T don’t care a rap for it!’’ cried the unpersuadable snip. ‘Then you may go and—and enjoy yourself as much as possible,’ ejaculated the captain, the latter portion of the sentence varying some- what from the manner in which he had at first intended to terminate it. ‘‘T am sure to enjoy myself in your society, my dear Pentonville,” said the soi-disant nobleman, in a tone which had an under-current of irony in it that was, however, only perceptible to the captain. “‘ And will you terminate that little business with me this evening ?” demanded Pentonville, also in a voice which conveyed a double mean- ing, intelligible only to one beside himself; for he wished to convince the upstart tailor that certain terms should be kept between them, or he himself would be the first to expose the entire deceit. “Oh! certainly, my dear fellow,” cried Buckram, rising; “I am ready to accompany you now.” ‘Then turning to Mr. Pifpaf,. he Gomicbooks (E(0)