A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 105: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

102 A QUEER RACE. riages to run simply by boiling water! It seems al- most——”’ “‘Tmpossible!” put in Fane. ‘“No, not impossible; I am sure Mr. Erle tells the truth. Say, rather, incomprehensible, and most passing strange. We have noright to disbelieve things merely because they are new and startling. But pray tell me, Mr. Erle, whether there are any books on the Diana.” “Yes, a good many. ‘Two or three hundred volumes, I should think.” «Two or three hundred volumes! Oh, how glad you make me!” she exclaimed, fairly clapping her hands with joy. ‘‘ Books are better than steam-engines; anc we have so few books, and those we have are almost in pieces. See this copy of ‘ Shakespeare!’ *—holding up the volume she had been reading—‘“ it will hardly hold together; my ‘Plutarch’s Lives’ and ‘ Paradise Lost’ are in the same evil case, and poor ‘ Robinson Crusoe’ has almost ceased to exist. We have several works in manuscript, and lam having more copied; but paper is not plentiful in Fair Island. Think you there is any on the Diana?” ‘Some, certainly; perhaps, a good deal. Our cargo is miscellaneous, and paper is largely exported from Eng- Jand.” ‘England! Ah! I shall want to know much about England, Mr. Erle. I shall tire you with my questions; Tam sure I shall. But here is Marian, to say the refec- tion is served; and after so much talking you cannot fail to be hungry.” As Mab spoke she rose from her chair. I rose also, and offered her my arm, which, after a momentary hesi- tation, she took, I guessed, from her manner and the looks of the two piebald gentleman, that I had done something unusual. But as it did not seem that Mab — took the attention amiss, I could easily dispense with their approval. The refection was set out in the next room on a table which, like everything else about the place, was evidently of home manufacture. ‘The pottery was equally rude; the dispiay of glass scanty,and of ancient fashion and shape. The forks were wooden-handled and two-pronged; the knives bore a strong resemblance to butchers’ whit- tles; but, strange to say, the plates were of silver, and we — is ; a t ecom C 00 cS Geom