A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

124 A QUEER RACE. stay here for the term of our natural lives,” I said, gloomily. | «<And would you regard that as a misfortune? Where can you find a pleasanter country than this, or one where you could enjoy a greater measure of prosperity . and contentment? ‘The queen and the Council of Nine would be only too glad to give you land and slaves, and build you a house, and with your fair skin and red hair and beard, you would be sure to have eligible offers of marriage 4 «‘ My hair is not red; it is chestnut,” I interposed, im- patiently. ~ Call it what you like; 1 only mean that it is very beautiful hair. Everybody admires it. The girls cannot keep their eyes off you. And I am sure you will not find finer women in the world than the Fanes (my mother was a Hane), and if their complexions cannot be described as exactly Huropean, they have a beauty all their own. It is merely a matter of taste.” In this opinion I was able cordially to concur, although I did not say (as I thought) that piebald complexions were not to my taste. As to Mr. Field’s proposal that I should settle on the island for good, I observed that, tempting as it was, | did not see my way to accept it; that | did not take kindly to the idea of never seeing England and my friends there again, and that if my mother did not receive news of me before long, she would be broken-hearted. To this he made no answer, and after some further conversation I repeated an inquiry I had already made more than once as to the position of the island; and producing a chart, I asked him to give me at least an approximate idea of its whereabouts. ‘‘ Not at present,” he said, with a quiet smile. ‘* You have only been here two or three days: why are you so eager to know everything? Have patience, my friend.” Suv I returned the chart to my pocket, and resolved, on _ the first opportunity, to put the same question to Miss Mab. ‘To tell the truth, I felt rather disappointed that she had not invited me to spend the evening at the Queen’s House (formerly Protector’s House), as I found her dwelling was called. Ae fg SERS Pc ai ea Before we separated for the night, Field informed me that, as the shark-killing expedition would set out atsun- ecomichbooks-co