Snake and Sword: A NovelWren, Percival Christopher
General
Snake and Sword: A Novel
Wren, Percival Christopher
British -- India -- Fiction
While cordially polite to all men (including women) Lucille was found
to be surrounded by an impenetrable wall of what was either glass or
ice according to the nature of the investigator. Those who would fain
extend relationship beyond that of merest ephemeral ship-board
acquaintanceship (and the inevitabilities of close, though temporary,
daily contact), while admitting that her manner and manners were
beautiful, had to admit also that she was an extremely difficult young
person “to get to know”. A gilt-edged, bumptious young subalternknut,
who commenced the voyage apoplectically full of self-admiration,
self-confidence, and admiring wonder at his enormous attractiveness,
importance, and value, finished the same in a ludicrously deflated
condition—and a quiet civilian, to whom the cub had been shamefully
insolent, was moved to present him with a little poem of his
composition commencing “There was a puppy caught a wasp,” which gave
him the transient though salutary gift of sight of himself as certain
others saw him….
Even the Great Mrs. “Justice” Spywell (her husband was a wee meek
joint-sessions-judge) was foiled in her diligent endeavours, and those
who know the Great Mrs. “Justice” Spywell will appreciate the defensive
abilities of Lucille. To those poor souls, throughout the world, who
stand lorn and cold without the charmed and charming circle of
Anglo-Indiandom, it may be explained that the Great Mrs. “Justice”
Spywell was far too Great to be hampered by silly scruples of
diffidence when on the track of information concerning the private
affairs of lesser folk—which is to say other folk.
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