Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 318: what you’re looking at

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

300 Tom ANDERSON, DareE-DEvVIL “Poor little lady!” Tom’s heart had sunk under that story. “Marquis, if you think she’d care about my singing, why, pray present my compliments and say I'll come at any time, and sing all the songs I know, — if she chooses.” “Good! I'll call on her to-morrow.’ Next day a line in French reached Tom through De la Jonquiére. The Princess Oczakoff would be at home Sun- day evening to the Marquis de Carabas, and the Marquis de la Jonquiére. “Oh, I say, Eugéne; I hope you made her understand that — that —”’ Tom ’s dark cheek turned duskier under the rush of blood. ) “But certainly, my dear fellow, she quite understands your courtesy to an invalid.” “You know, Unaka had to jump on every wretched farthing — like a gobbler on a grasshopper—when I bayed the moon on the cistern down yonder —” ‘““Pouf! The Princess knows. She understands every- body. As well as you understand old Piet -Huyck’s ledger.”’ But Tom little suspected the extent of the Princess’s politeness to a fellow with two perfectly good legs. On Sunday afternoon when the sedan chair and the brace of ebon Ebos proceeded through the streets of Bridgetown until they arrived at the unpretending little house where the American had lodgings, and it was con- veyed to this same American that the chair had come for him! — my faith! but his annoyance was intense. “T can’t doit, Your Lordship. I ride in that thing? Shut up in there—likea sick ape ina cage! Niggers totin’ me!” “You can’t decently decline. It’s all sorts of a compli- ment, you know. Besides, it will be no bad thing for Bridgetown to see that the Princess Oczakoff shows you so much consideration.”’ ‘Bother Bridgetown! Is there no way to get out of it?” “Not until after you get into it!” Bridgetown was on the quiz vive that Sunday afternoon, ECOMMICOOOKS nO m