In Mr. Knox's CountrySomerville, E. Oe. (Edith Oenone)
General
In Mr. Knox's Country
Somerville, E. Oe. (Edith Oenone)
British -- Ireland -- Fiction; Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Judges -- Fiction
"Who has the nerve to tell Mr. Chichester that there's something to eat
here?" said Lady Derryclare, minutely examining the butter.
"Philippa is obviously indicated," I said malignly. "She is the Friend
of his Youth!"
"You're all odious," said Philippa, sliding from beneath the flap of
the table with the light of the lion-tamer in her eye.
What transpired between her and the lion we shall never know. She
returned almost immediately, with a heightened colour, and the
irrelevant information that the Diver had come on board. The news had
the lifting power of a high explosive. We burst from the cabin and
went on deck as one man, with the exception of my wife, who, with a
forethought that did her credit, turned back to improvise a cosy for
the teapot.
The Diver was a large person, of few words, with a lowering brow and a
heavy moustache. He did not minimise the greatness of his
condescension in coming aboard the yacht; he listened gloomily to the
explanations of Lord Derryclare. At the conclusion of the narrative he
moved in silence to the bows and surveyed the situation. His boat,
containing the apparatus of his trade, was alongside; a stalwart
underling, clad in a brown jersey, sat in the bows; in the stern was
enthroned the helmet, goggling upon us like a decapitated motorist. It
imparted a thrill that I had not experienced since I read Jules Verne
at school.
"Here, Jeremiah," said the Diver.
The satellite came on deck with the single sinuous movement of a salmon.
The Diver motioned him to the windlass. "We'll take a turn at this
first," he said.
They took each a handle, they bent to their task, and the anchor rose
at their summons like a hot knife out of butter.
Every man present, with the exception of the Diver and the satellite,
made the simple declaration that he was damned, and it was in the
period of paralysis following on this that a fresh ingredient was added
to the situation.
A giant voice filled the air, and in a windy bellow came the words:
"Nice lot you are!"
We faced about and saw "Ronnie's torpedo-boat" executing a sweeping
curve in the mouth of Eyries Harbour.
"Couldn't wait any longer!" proceeded the voice of the Megaphone.
"We've got to pick up the others outside. Thanks awfully for luncheon!
Top-hole!"
T.B. No. 1000 completed the curve and headed for the open sea with a
white mane of water rising above her bows. There was something else
white fluttering at the stern. I put up the field-glasses, and with
their aid perceived upon the deck a party of four ladies, one of whom
was waving a large pocket handkerchief. The glasses were here taken
out of my hand by Chichester, but not before I had identified the
Flapper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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