He was adrift on the
shoreless tides of delirium, speaking very quickly--"It's a pity,--a great
pity; but it's helped, and it must be eaten, Master George. Sufficient unto the
day is the blindness thereof, and, further, putting aside all Melancolias and
false humours, it is of obvious notoriety--such as mine was--that the queen can
do no wrong. Torp doesn't know that. I'll tell him when we're a little farther
into the desert.
"What a bungle those boatmen are making of the steamer-ropes! They'll have that
four-inch hawser chafed through in a minute. I told you so--there she goes!
White foam on green water, and the steamer slewing round. How good that looks!
I'll sketch it. No, I can't. I'm afflicted with ophthalmia. That was one of the
ten plagues of Egypt, and it extends up the Nile in the shape of cataract. Ha!
that's a joke, Torp. Laugh, you graven image, and stand clear of the hawser. .
. . It'll knock you into the water and make your dress all dirty, Maisie dear."
"Oh!" said Torpenhow. "This happened before. That night on the river."
"She'll be sure to say it's my fault if you get muddy, and you're quite near
enough to the breakwater. Maisie, that's not fair. Ah! I knew you'd miss.
Low and to the left, dear.
Pages:
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048