The Argosy — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

232 A NIGHT IN COLINDIA. T was very wrong, rash and illegal, nevertheless we did it. I wouldn’t do it again, for I am certain that night has shortened my life, and if I narrate here a few of the incidents we met with it is simply as a warning to any of my readers against leaving the beaten paths of everyday life and virtue. Will Purvis is my dearest friend ; socially he is a solicitor’s clerk in a north county town which shall be called Blank. For the same obvious reasons the name I have given him is not to be found in his certificate of birthh My own name is—well, Norval Shepherd, and I am in the principal bank in the town. I don’t remember how it first arose. I know we were very busy in our respective callings, and dare not on any account ask for a holiday ; but that was not all. JI am afraid I must confess that what gave rise to our adventure was (now I look back upon it) a most contemptible spirit of bravado, fostered by the taunts and chaff of a select circle of feather-brained friends. At any rate we pledged ourselves to see all that could be seen of the Colonial Exhibition in London between that present day, Tuesday, and the following Thursday without leaving our work for a single hour. Of course it was understood that we must try and see it by night. I had not been in London for years, and Will had never been there in his life. On Wednesday I could always leave at four, and on that particular Wednesday Will had to leave the office at three, to see a client at some distance, and bring his instructions to the office the next day. He arranged to hurry over this, and then take the train on from the village where his client lived to the first stopping station of the London express. Here I was to pick him up. At a few minutes past five, therefore, that Wednesday afternoon I was speeding South with two return tickets to London in my pocket, two small dark lanterns, and a good supply of matches. At N Will turned up all right, and in the wildest of spirits. He had succeeded in his negotiations, and was certain to be highly praised by his firm. It was after eight o’clock when we were rattling across London, and twenty-five minutes to nine when we passed through the turnstiles at the Albert Hall; the ticket collector raising his eyebrows when we paid at that hour five shillings for admittance. “Norval,” said Will, as soon as we got in—he was quite dazed by our rattle across town—‘ look at those Christys. I didn’t know they had negro minstrels and such low things here. Aren’t you surprised ? ” Then, by the aid of an official guide and programme I had bought, CONMICLMOOOKS.E©