The Argosy — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

Letters from Majorca. | 223 drawing-room, waiting, more or less impatiently, for the ice. We were conversing in low tones, when in came Barbara, both arms full, staggering under the weight of an immense bunch of leeks or onions ! There was triumph in her look ; there grew perplexity in ours. Had Barbara, too, gone mad? with worry, or the weight and woe of her responsibilities, or the extreme heat? It was not impossible. Many a weak brain has given way whose lines of life have been less thrown out than were Barbara’s just now. But then Barbara has not a weak brain, and her jet black eyes were clear and steady. No; she was not mad. ‘There’s your ice,” said Barbara, in Mallorcan—I could just understand her, ‘‘ What are you going to do with it? How is it to be prepared ? ” How indeed! For seasoning purposes, here was a six months’ supply. As far as the sick room was concerned it would last a life- time. I suggested that they should go and do duty amongst the scented branches and aromatic leaves that strewed the staircases ; but Barbara’s practical ideas upon thrift forbade the waste. It soon became evident that zce, or rather its equivalent in sound, was Mallorcan for leek or onion, and so the mistake hadarisen. But the misunderstanding was so ludicrous ; 1t was such an absurd instance of cross question and crooked answer; Barbara looked so ridiculous as she staggered in with her savoury but most unexpected burden, and we were so amazed and confounded, that, in spite of all our trouble and anxiety, long and silent laughter was all the answer she received. Then light dawned upon her; she, too, began to understand that we had been playing at cross questions ; and her face relaxed into a genuine smile as she took in the humour of the situation. “Santa Barbara!” I cried, perhaps because it was about all I could say in Mallorcan. And, with a laugh and a shake of the head, and an upright carriage and a firm but beautifully soft step, she clasped her precious bundle of leeks close and fast, and retreated to her own dominions. A. soft step. Who does not appreciate it? Oh, those women who go through the world with loud tread and heavy footfall! How they lacerate one’s nerves! Is it not the next worst thing to a loud voice, this masculine tread in woman, who should go softly and speak gently all the days of her life? Barbara retired ; but the matter was only delayed, not denied. Presently, the ice, hitherto proscribed, appeared ; cooling to heated rooms, refreshing to parched and fevered lips. As I have told you, a new reign had commenced. Some days have gone on since the eventful morning of the arrival. Our anxiety continues. Danger, great danger, still exists. The fluctuations in the state of the patient are remarkable. The improve- ment of one hour gives place to an increased temperature the next. A lucid interval is very quickly followed by delirium. comicooolks (C(O)