English fiction -- 19th century; Marriage -- Fiction
'Tobacco before breakfast!' he said disgustedly tossing his cigar to the
road. 'Your pipe holds on. Bad thing, I can tell you, that smoking on
an empty stomach. No trainer'd allow it, not for a whole fee or double.
Kills your wind. Let me ask you, my good sir, are you going to turn?
We've sat a fairish stretch. I begin to want my bath and a shave, linen
and coffee. Thirsty' as a dog.'
He heard with stupefaction, that he could alight on the spot, if he
pleased, otherwise he would be driven into Carlsruhe. And now they had a
lingual encounter, hot against cool; but the eyes of Chummy Potts having
been beaten, his arguments and reproaches were not backed by the powerful
looks which are an essential part of such eloquence as he commanded.
They fled from his enemy's currishly, even while he was launching
epithets. His pathetic position subjected him to beg that Woodseer would
direct the driver to turn, for he had no knowledge of 'their German
lingo.' And said he: 'You've nothing to laugh at, that I can see. I'm
at your mercy, you brute; caught in a trap. I never walk;--and the sun
fit to fry a mackerel along that road! I apologize for abusing you; I
can't do more. You're an infernally clever player--there! And, upon my
soul, I could drink ditchwater! But if you're going in for transactions
at Carlsruhe, mark my words, your luck's gone. Laugh as much as you
like.'
Woodseer happened to be smiling over the excellent reason for not turning
back which inflicted the wofulness. He was not without sympathy for a
thirsty wretch, and guessing, at the sight of an avenue of limes to the
left of the road, that a wayside inn was below, he said: 'You can have
coffee or beer in two minutes,' and told the driver where to pull up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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