A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 110: what you’re looking at

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A QUEER RACE. 107 After a few further remarks had been exchanged I in- quired if the queen was still in the mind to pay her prom- ised visit to the Diana. | ‘‘Certainly,” she said, smiling. ‘* I am notin the habit of changing my plans except for good cause; and I am . most anxious to see your wonderful steam-engine, and, above all, those books. I fear I shall never be able te tear myself away from them. May I bring some back with me?” “Of course. Have I not said that the Diana and all she contains are entirely at your disposal? But I shall have to precede you. It will take me an hour or two to get steam up; and we shall require help to heave the anchor. The boatswain and I cannot do it alone.” ‘‘ You shall have all the help you want. See to it, Mr. Field, that Mr. Erle’s orders are as implicitly obeyed as if | gave them myself; and give him and the boatswain quarters in your house.” On this he bowed again. ‘Then the queen gave ine her hand, which I kissed as before, and withdrew with Field, leaving her alone with Fane, whom I now knew to be her kinsman; for the commander of the Santa Auna was doubtless the common ancestor of both. CHAPTER XVIII. DENZIL FANE. I LEARNED much about the queer race from the Santa Anna’s log-books and the other books to which Mr, Field, by his mistress’ command, gave me access; by reading between the lines, by conversation with that gentleman and with others, and from myown observation, I learned even more. The gist of this information I propose to embody in the present chapter, for it is essential, not only to a right understanding of the people among whom I found myself, but of the events that afterward came to pass, as also of my own personal narrative, which I shall presently resume. It will be remembered that when Mr. Hare, the chap- Jain, threw his diary into the sea, he thought he was like to die, and that his companions would not long outlive him. Asthe reader already knows, these anticipations were not realized. Mr. Hare lived a good deal longer (ee) Eomicbooks