Observe how disinterested I am."
Hardie consented with twinkling composure.
Before dinner she caught Kenealy, drew him aside, and put on a long
face. "I am afraid I must lose you to-day at dinner. Mr. Dodd is quite
a stranger, and they all tell me I must put him at his ease.
"Yaas."
"Well, then, you had better get next Lucy, as you can't have me."
Yaas."
"And, Captain Kenealy, you are my aid-de-camp. It is a delightful
post, you know, and rather a troublesome one."
"Yaas."
"You must help me be kind to this sailor."
"Yaas. He is a good fellaa. Carried the baeg for the little caed."
"Oh, did he?"
"And didn't maind been laughed at."
"Now, that shows how intelligent you must be," said the wily one; "the
others could not comprehend the trait. Well, you and I must patronize
him. Merit is always so dreadfully modest."
"Yaas."
This arrangement was admirable, but human; consequently, not without a
flaw. Uncle Fountain was left to chance, like the flying atoms of
Epicurus, and chance put him at Bazalgette's right hand save one. From
this point his inquisitive eye commanded David Dodd and Mrs.
Bazalgette, and raked Lucy and her neighbors, who were on the opposite
side of the table. People who look, bent on seeing everything,
generally see something; item, it is not always what they would like
to see.
As they retired to rest for the night, Mr. Fountain invited his friend
to his room.
"We shall not have to go home.
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