The Argosy — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

136 Letters from Majorca. “It won’t be for long,” I said. ‘We leave to-morrow. Our lordly barouche is to be here at three o’clock.” “What!” cried A. ‘Return to Palma without going up the Puig Major? Absolutely impossible. It is not to be thought of. We will send a note by the return diligence, countermanding the lordly barouche, and to-morrow we will all go up the Puig Major, and make a grand day of it.” So, by sheer force of determination on A.’s part, it was settled. The Puig Major, you must know, is the highest peak on the island. It isa day’s excursion, and, I believe, very hard work. I have agreed, but I tremble. As I sit here to-night, writing to you, I wonder what lies in store for me to-morrow ; and whether, when night comes round once more, I shall be alive and again able to take up my tale for your benefit. For night has fallen, the town is steeped in silence, the house in repose. Across the table H.C. is sketching. He is so charmed with Soller that for the moment he has forgotten all about poetry. He makes a remark every now and then, and we compare notes and go over the day’s charming experiences. Occasionally I hear a muttered ‘ Philanthropy, indeed!” ‘“ Disinterestedness, forsooth !” which seem rather to indicate the bent of his thoughts. And once he startled me by the loud exclamation of ‘“ Well, some men ave green !” upon which he apologised, and explained that he was think- ing of the trees he was washing in, and meant to say trees were green, not men. It was a /apsus lingua. I put it all down to atmosphere, Only the watchman disturbs the silence of the streets, with the same old cry. The stars above are large and glorious. We see the outlines of distant hills like huge monsters, portentous and weighted with omen. Shall you be surprised to hear that to-night, at dinner, we had no Mallorquin lesson. A. monopolised the whole of Rosita’s attention. I thought there would have been a duel between him and H. C., and had the greatest difficulty in keeping the peace. Serene skies with- out, but within, between these two, who each in his way can be so charming, thunder and lightning, storm and tempest. Atmosphere undoubtedly. And now in the very small hours of the night we retire. I waft you a thousandfold benediction, and pray all good angels have you in their holy keeping. comicbooks.com