A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. 117 solute. But she is both able and well instructed. Indeed, eat she is the ablest ruler we have had since the first enzil.”’ ‘*She is a woman who can?” “Exactly. But between you and me ”—dropping his voice—‘‘I fear that she does not hold her great ancestor’s maxims in quite so much respect as might be desired. She has done several things which do not quite square with his recorded opinions; and on one occasion, when I ventured to remonstrate with her, she said—this is strictly between ourselves, Mr. Erle—she actually said—I can hardly bring myself to repeat the words—‘ A fig for old Denzil! There? ” ‘God bless me! I can hardly believe-—— “She did, though, I assure you. It is quite true that she remembered herself the next moment, and said she regretted having spoken so hastily. But the words were spoken, and I shall uever forget them.” “Yes,” I replied, sympathetically; ‘‘ they must have made you feel pretty bad. So the queen is hasty some- times?” ‘Rather; but then you must remember that she is young, and lacks experience; she is quick-tempered, too, and just as quick, [am bound to say, to acknowledge a fault or own to a mistake. Of aright noble nature is Queen Mab.” Once on board the Diana, I set to work with two of the men to get up steam, while the others, under Bolsover’s directions, occupied themselves in putting the ship to rights, swabbing the decks, and otherwise, as he expressed it, ‘* making her fit to be seen.” I saw with deep regret that disappointment about the treasure had made old Tom quite another man. It seemed to have changed his character. Instead of the simple-hearted, cheerful, chatty fellow he had once been, he was tacitarn and morose. He did everything [ wanted; but I found it impossible to draw him into con- yersation; he answered me only in monosyllables. Some- thing had come between us; we were no longer the close friends we had been, and I felt sure, from his manner, that by a strange perversion of ideas he held me to blame for the shattering of hisillusion; or, perhaps, considering 99 (E(@) mm C aoe) CS (eo)