A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. 133 ‘‘That is what a good many people used to ask when the sport was abolished. It was considered that we had no right to make the lower animals destroy each other for our amusement ——” . ‘* Excuse me, sir, but that is surely a very driveling argument. You kill the lower animals to satisfy your appetites, yet you will not let them fight to make you diversion. Besides, the birds like it; would not you, if you were a game-cock, rather die fighting than have your neck wrung and be put in a pot?”’ ‘‘ Certainly. But there were other objections. It was considered that public cock-fighting, besides being cruel, did harm to those who took part in it—blunted their feelings—demoralized them, in fact.” ‘‘In that case I must be very much demoralized,” said Mab, with flashing eyes and an angry gesture; ‘‘ for I have taken part, as you call it, in a hundred cock-fights, and shall probably take part in hundreds more. So, according to your showing, I must be both demoralized and incorrigible.” | ‘Not at all; anything but that,” I returned, eager to repair the fault I had so stupidly committed. ‘‘ You asked me why cock-fighting was abolished in England, and I was trying to explain why. I was not giving these arguments as my own. Moreover, cock-fighting in Fair Island is one thing; cock-fighting in England was quite another thing. It was made a medium for gambling, fell into bad hands, and became a public nuisance. As for you, I am sure that no one who has ever seen Queen Mab could doubt that she was other than ff Here I hesitated. ‘What, sir?”—peremptorily. ‘© A right noble woman.” She smiled; and [I liked her none the less for being sensible to a little flattery. | ‘You are coming to my ball, of course?” ‘‘ Of course.” ‘‘T am afraid you will find our dances rather old-fash- ioned; but you shall teach us some of the new ones. | L. saw a mention in one of those illustrated. papers of a waltz. Ithink I should like to waltz. Will you show me how?” (E(0) AA G 00 “S (Ele) m a)