At breakfast he would
suddenly announce that the fit took him to go to London, and he
would drive to Jessum along with Cockatoo to catch the ten
o'clock train to London. Sometimes he sent the Kanaka back; at
other times he would take him to town; but whether Cockatoo
remained or departed, the museum was always locked up lest it
should be profaned by the servants of the house. As a matter of
fact, Braddock need not have been afraid, for Lucy--knowing her
step-father's whims and violent temper--took care that the
sanctity of the place should remain inviolate.
Sometimes the Professor came back in a couple of days; at times
his absence would extend to a week; and on two or three occasions
he remained absent for a fortnight. But whenever he returned, he
said very little about his doings to Lucy, perhaps deeming that
dry scientific details would not appeal to a lively young lady.
As soon as he was established in his museum again, life at the
Pyramids would resume its usual routine, until Braddock again
felt the want of a change. The wonder was, considering the
nature of his work, and the closeness of his application, that he
did not more often indulge in these Bohemian wanderings.
Lucy, therefore, was not astonished when, on the morning after
her visit to Mrs.
Pages:
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151