A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. 189 and drawers of water, because once they were free they would work only for themselves.” This was conclusive, and as I could not have answered Mr. Field without the risk of giving serious offense, I al- lowed the subject to drop. In the meantime, the Diana’s cargo was being unloaded and brought up to Fairhaven, but rather fitfully and slowly; for the ship contained an immense quantity of merchandise of one sort. and another, and the warehouse accommodation at the queen’s disposal was decidedly lim- ited. The bales and cases had to be stowed anywhere and everywhere, and there being no draught animals in the island, the labor or shifting and carrying the pack- ages about was very great. In these’ circumstances I suggested to Mab and the Council of Nine that it would be better to let the remainder of the cargo stay where it was. . ‘You have landed the bulk of it,” I said; ** what there is left can be brought up as you want it, and when you want it. The ship being securely moored, it is quite safe where it is.”’ «<A happy thought, Mr. Erle,” exclaimed Mab. ‘* Let it be so. ‘To-morrow we will go down to the Diana, and see for ourselves what there is left; we may perchance find some more nooks, and you will perhaps be so oblig- ing as to take out the remaining mirrors. Morris shall go with us.” , Morris was a carpenter, and he had fixed up one mir- — ror in the queen’s bedroom so much to her satisfaction that she wanted to have all the remaining mirrors taken out of the saloon and fixed up in like manner. As for books, she was simply insatiable. She read anything that came to hand, but liked best something scientific, or a novel with plenty of incident and a complicated plot. When once she became interested in a story of this sort, she would neither sleep nor attend to business until she reached the end, and woe betide the councilor who at such a time ventured to trouble her with affairs of State. When Mr. Thomas, a rather timid old gentle- man, secretary to the council, brought her some papers to sign while she was reading ‘‘ Monte-Cristo,” and aid not go away the moment he was bid, she half frightened Gomicbooks (EO)