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Fellow Travellers NO MORE OF YESTERDAYS howling over yonder to-day, Sir; is there? I have heard none. Then you may be sure there is none. When these people howl, they howl to be heard. Most people do, I suppose. Ah! but these people are always howling. Never happy otherwise. Do you mean the Marseilles people? I mean the French people. Theyre always at it. As to Marseilles, we know what Marseilles is. It sent the most insurrectionary tune into the world that was ever composed. It couldnt exist without allonging and marshonging to something or othervictory or death, or blazes, or something. The speaker, with a whimsical good-humour upon him all the time, looked over the parapet-wall with the greatest disparagement of Marseilles; and taking up a determined position by putting his hands in his pockets and rattling his money at it, apostrophised it with a short laugh. Allong and marshong, indeed. It would be more creditable to you, I think, to let other people allong and marshong about their lawful business, instead of shutting em up in quarantine! Tiresome enough, said the other. But we shall be out to-day. Out to-day! repeated the first. Its almost an aggravation of the enormity, that we shall be out to-day. Out! What have we ever been in for? For no very strong reason, I must say. But as we come from the East, and as the East is the country of the plague The plague! repeated the other. Thats my grievance. I have had the plague continually, ever since I have been here. I am like a sane man shut up in a madhouse; I cant stand the suspicion of the thing. I came here as well as ever I was in my life; but to suspect me of the plague is to give me the plague. And I have had itand I have got it. You bear it very well, Mr Meagles, said the second speaker, smiling. No. If you knew the real state of the case, thats the last observation you would think of making. I have been waking up night after night, and saying, now I have got it, now it has developed itself, now I am in for it, now these fellows are making out their case for their precautions. Why, Id as soon have a spit put through me, and be stuck upon a card in a collection of beetles, as lead the life I have been leading here. Well, Mr Meagles, say no more about it now its over, urged a cheerful feminine voice. Over! repeated Mr Meagles, who appeared (though without any ill- nature) to be in that peculiar state of mind in which the last word spoken by anybody else is a new injury. Over! and why should I say no more about it because its over? It was Mrs Meagles who had spoken to Mr Meagles; and Mrs Meagles was, like Mr Meagles, comely and healthy, with a pleasant English face which had been looking at homely things for five-and-fifty years or more, and shone with a bright reflection of them. There! Never mind, Father, never mind! said Mrs Meagles. For goodness sake content yourself with Pet. |
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