FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   >>   >|  
prey; and, when gorged and helpless, behold, it was immediately fallen upon by two other snakes. To his disturbed fancy, there was a dim resemblance between their heads and those of Quirk and Snap--they all three became intertwisted together--and writhed and struggled till they fell over the edge of a dark and frightful precipice--he woke--thank God! it was only a dream. CHAPTER V. When, after his return from Mr. Gammon's chambers, at Thavies' Inn, Titmouse woke at an early hour in the morning, he was laboring under the ordinary effects of unaccustomed inebriety. His lips were perfectly parched; his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth; there was a horrid weight pressing on his aching eyes, and upon his throbbing head. His pillow seemed undulating beneath him, and everything swimming around him; but when, to crown the whole, he was roused from a momentary nap by the insupportable--the loathed importunities of Mrs. Squallop, that he would just sit up and partake of three thick rounds of hot buttered toast, and a great basin of smoking tea, which would do him _so_ much good, and settle his stomach--at all events, if he'd only have a thimbleful of gin in it--poor Titmouse was fairly overcome!... He lay in bed all that day, during which he underwent very severe sufferings; and it was not till towards night that he began to have anything like a distinct recollection of the events of the evening which he had spent with Mr. Gammon; who, by the way, had sent one of the clerks, during the afternoon, to inquire after him. He did not get out of bed on the Tuesday till past twelve o'clock, when, in a very rickety condition, he made his appearance at the shop of Messrs. Tag-rag and Co.; on approaching which he felt a sudden faintness, arising from mingled apprehension and disgust. "What are you doing here, sir?--You're no longer in my employment, sir," exclaimed Tag-rag, attempting to speak calmly, as he hurried down the shop, white with rage, to meet Titmouse, and planted himself right in the way of his languid and pallid shopman. "Sir!"--faintly exclaimed Titmouse, with his hat in his hand. "Very much obliged, sir--very! by the offer of your valuable services," said Tag-rag. "But--_that's_ the way out again, sir--that!--there!--good-morning, sir--good-morning, sir!--that's the way out"--and he egged on Titmouse, till he had got him fairly into the street--with infinite difficulty restraining himself from giving
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Titmouse
 

morning

 

exclaimed

 

Gammon

 

events

 
fairly
 
appearance
 

overcome

 
Tuesday
 

rickety


Messrs

 

twelve

 
condition
 

distinct

 
underwent
 

severe

 
sufferings
 
recollection
 

evening

 

afternoon


inquire

 

clerks

 

faintly

 

restraining

 

shopman

 

planted

 

languid

 

pallid

 

obliged

 

street


infinite

 
valuable
 

difficulty

 

services

 

disgust

 
apprehension
 

mingled

 
approaching
 

sudden

 
faintness

arising
 

calmly

 
hurried
 
giving
 

attempting

 

longer

 
employment
 

CHAPTER

 
return
 

frightful