Bell. Compact Enchantress, helped in by Zamiel (whom the stars
confound!), gives us her charming little side-box look, and smites me to
the core. Mystery eating sponge-cake. Pine-apple atmosphere faintly
tinged with suspicions of sherry. Demented Traveller flits past the
carriage, looking for it. Is blind with agitation, and can’t see it.
Seems singled out by Destiny to be the only unhappy creature in the
flight, who has any cause to hurry himself. Is nearly left behind. Is
seized by Collected Guard after the Train is in motion, and bundled in.
Still, has lingering suspicions that there must be a boat in the
neighbourhood, and will look wildly out of window for it.
Flight resumed. Corn-sheaves, hop-gardens, reapers, gleaners,
apple-orchards, cherry-orchards, Stations single and double-barrelled,
Ashford. Compact Enchantress (constantly talking to Mystery, in an
exquisite manner) gives a little scream; a sound that seems to come from
high up in her precious little head; from behind her bright little
eyebrows. ‘Great Heaven, my pine-apple! My Angel! It is lost!’
Mystery is desolated. A search made. It is not lost. Zamiel finds it.
I curse him (flying) in the Persian manner. May his face be turned
upside down, and jackasses sit upon his uncle’s grave!
Now fresher air, now glimpses of unenclosed Down-land with flapping crows
flying over it whom we soon outfly, now the Sea, now Folkestone at a
quarter after ten. ‘Tickets ready, gentlemen!’ Demented dashes at the
door. ‘For Paris, sir? No hurry.’
Not the least. We are dropped slowly down to the Port, and sidle to and
fro (the whole Train) before the insensible Royal George Hotel, for some
ten minutes. The Royal George takes no more heed of us than its namesake
under water at Spithead, or under earth at Windsor, does. The Royal
George’s dog lies winking and blinking at us, without taking the trouble
to sit up; and the Royal George’s ‘wedding party’ at the open window (who
seem, I must say, rather tired of bliss) don’t bestow a solitary glance
upon us, flying thus to Paris in eleven hours. The first gentleman in
Folkestone is evidently used up, on this subject.
Meanwhile, Demented chafes. Conceives that every man’s hand is against
him, and exerting itself to prevent his getting to Paris. Refuses
consolation. Rattles door. Sees smoke on the horizon, and ‘knows’ it’s
the boat gone without him. Monied Interest resentfully explains that
_he_ is going to Paris too. Demented signifies, that if Monied Interest
chooses to be left behind, he don’t.
‘Refreshments in the Waiting-Room, ladies and gentlemen. No hurry,
ladies and gentlemen, for Paris. No hurry whatever!’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account