"
"Why, it isn't seven yet!" said Torpenhow, with amazement.
"It shall be two in the morning, if I choose," said Dick, backing to the studio
door. "I go to grapple with a serious crisis, and I shan't want any dinner."
The door shut and was locked.
"What can you do with a man like that?" said the Nilghai.
"Leave him alone. He's as mad as a hatter."
At eleven there was a kicking on the studio door. "Is the Nilghai with you
still?" said a voice from within. "Then tell him he might have condensed the
whole of his lumbering nonsense into an epigram: 'Only the free are bond, and
only the bond are free.' Tell him he's an idiot, Torp, and tell him I'm
another."
"All right. Come out and have supper. You're smoking on an empty stomach."
There was no answer.
CHAPTER V
"I have a thousand men," said he,
"To wait upon my will,
And towers nine upon the Tyne,
And three upon the Till."
"And what care I for you men," said she,
"Or towers from Tyne to Till,
"Sith you must go with me," she said,
"To wait upon my will?"
--Sir Hoggie and the Fairies
Next morning Torpenhow found Dick sunk in deepest repose of tobacco.
"Well, madman, how d'you feel?"
"I don't know. I'm trying to find out.
Pages:
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913