A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

142 A QUEER RACE. alwayson her shoulders. But you shall see her, and then you can judge for yourself. And now let us go on with our inspection.” : As we passed through one of the berths—I think if was poor Bulnois’—I saw a carpet-bag 1n one corner. ‘«¢What is here?” I said, opening it. «‘ Books!’ exclaimed the queen. ‘* Let us see what they are.” So I carried the bag into the saloon, and emptied on the table at least a score of volumes, the greater part of them novels. There!” I said, taking up a copy of ‘‘'T’he Woman in White.” ‘* You have only to begin reading this, and you will forget all about your melancholy forebodings, and the supposed dangers which a too active imagination has conjured up.” ‘‘Is it very interesting?” she asked, with sparkling eyes. “Very.” «‘~ will*begin it at once,” she said, and suiting the action to the word, she sat down, and opening the volume, settled herself fora good read. ‘‘ Let me know when the boat is ready.” An hour later the boat was ready, but so crowded with bales, cases, and one thing and another, that it was evi- dent she could not take us all back at one trip. On this I went below to the queen, whom I found deep in Wilkie Collins’ thrilling romance, and after explaining the difficulty we were in, suggested that she and her personal attendants should go off in the boat, and that two of the men and myself would wait on board until an- other could be sent to take us off. ‘“No; let the people go. ‘They can send a boat for us when they get to Fairhaven—I mean for you, myself, Marian, and Buttercup.” ‘< It cannot be here for two hours, and in much less time than that it will be dark.” “‘T am not afraid of the dark. You have lamps, I sup- pose?” «‘Yes, we have lamps; still——_” ‘¢ Let the boat go, I say!’ and the next moment her head was again bent over her book. . I went on deck, gave orders for the boat to shove off, Geom C JOO cS (@(@) 8