- end_line
- 10490
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:52.921Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 10424
- text
- goes your luggage," and so saying he dragged toward him a light trunk on
the top of the stage.
"Keep a clean tongue in ye now"--said the officer--"and don't be in
quite so great a hurry," then addressing Pierre, who had now re-alighted
from the coach--"Well, this can't continue; what do you intend to do?"
"Not to ride further with that man, at any rate," said Pierre; "I will
stop right here for the present."
"He! he!" laughed the driver; "he! he! 'mazing 'commodating now--we
hitches now, we do--stops right afore the watch-house--he! he!--that's
funny!"
"Off with the luggage then, driver," said the policeman--"here hand the
small trunk, and now away and unlash there behind."
During all this scene, Delly had remained perfectly silent in her
trembling and rustic alarm; while Isabel, by occasional cries to Pierre,
had vainly besought some explanation. But though their complete
ignorance of city life had caused Pierre's two companions to regard the
scene thus far with too much trepidation; yet now, when in the
obscurity of night, and in the heart of a strange town, Pierre handed
them out of the coach into the naked street, and they saw their luggage
piled so near the white light of a watch-house, the same ignorance, in
some sort, reversed its effects on them; for they little fancied in what
really untoward and wretched circumstances they first touched the
flagging of the city.
As the coach lumbered off, and went rolling into the wide murkiness
beyond, Pierre spoke to the officer.
"It is a rather strange accident, I confess, my friend, but strange
accidents will sometimes happen."
"In the best of families," rejoined the other, a little ironically.
Now, I must not quarrel with this man, thought Pierre to himself, stung
at the officer's tone. Then said:--"Is there any one in your--office?"
"No one as yet--not late enough."
"Will you have the kindness then to house these ladies there for the
present, while I make haste to provide them with better lodgment? Lead
on, if you please."
The man seemed to hesitate a moment, but finally acquiesced; and soon
they passed under the white light, and entered a large, plain, and most
forbidding-looking room, with hacked wooden benches and bunks ranged
along the sides, and a railing before a desk in one corner. The
permanent keeper of the place was quietly reading a paper by the long
central double bat's-wing gas-light; and three officers off duty were
nodding on a bench.
"Not very liberal accommodations"--said the officer, quietly; "nor
always the best of company, but we try to be civil. Be seated, ladies,"
politely drawing a small bench toward them.
"Hallo, my friends," said Pierre, approaching the nodding three beyond,
and tapping them on the shoulder--"Hallo, I say! Will you do me a little
favor? Will you help bring some trunks in from the street? I will
satisfy you for your trouble, and be much obliged into the bargain."
Instantly the three noddies, used to sudden awakenings, opened their
eyes, and stared hard; and being further enlightened by the bat's-wings
and first officer, promptly brought in the luggage as desired.
- title
- Chunk 5