The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 05Stevenson, Robert Louis
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The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 05
Stevenson, Robert Louis
English literature -- 19th century; Fiction
[3] The Arabian author of the original has here a long passage
conceived in a style too oriental for the English reader. We subjoin
a specimen, and it seems doubtful whether it should be printed as
prose or verse: "Any writard who writes dynamitard shall find in me
a never-resting fightard"; and he goes on (if we correctly gather
his meaning) to object to such elegant and obviously correct
spellings as lamp-lightard, corn-dealard, apple-filchard (clearly
justified by the parallel--pilchard), and opera-dancard.
"Dynamitist," he adds, "I could understand."
ZERO'S TALE OF THE EXPLOSIVE BOMB[4]
I dined by appointment with one of our most trusted agents, in a private
chamber at St. James's Hall. You have seen the man: it was M'Guire, the
most chivalrous of creatures, but not himself expert in our
contrivances. Hence the necessity of our meeting; for I need not remind
you what enormous issues depend upon the nice adjustment of the engine.
I set our little petard for half an hour, the scene of action being hard
by; and, the better to avert miscarriage, employed a device, a recent
invention of my own, by which the opening of the Gladstone bag in which
the bomb was carried should instantly determine the explosion. M'Guire
was somewhat dashed by this arrangement, which was new to him: and
pointed out, with excellent, clear good sense, that should he be
arrested, it would probably involve him in the fall of our opponents.
But I was not to be moved, made a strong appeal to his patriotism, gave
him a good glass of whisky, and despatched him on his glorious errand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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