Manchurian Books

It seems to me a fairly attractive
offer to a boy to be a whole tribe of Indians with a chance of such a
booty. But Archie suddenly took offence.
"No," he said; "we can't have that!"
"Can't have what?"
"You can't be a gentleman, because you aren't. And you can't play
Beatrice is your wife. It's--it's impertinent."
"But" I said, and looked at her.
Some earlier grudge in the day's affairs must have been in Archie's
mind. "We let you play with us," said Archie; "but we can't have things
like that."
"What rot!" said Beatrice. "He can if he likes."
But he carried his point. I let him carry it, and only began to grow
angry three or four minutes later. Then we were still discussing play
and disputing about another game. Nothing seemed right for all of us.
"We don't want you to play with us at all," said Archie.
"Yes, we do," said Beatrice.
"He drops his aitches like anything."
"No, 'e doesn't," said I, in the heat of the moment.
"There you go!" he cried. "E, he says. E! E! E!"
He pointed a finger at me. He had struck to the heart of my shame.


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