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"We might open the cottage for a few days, Gates," I said, as we were getting into the motor. "Bless you, sir," he replied, caressing a weather-beaten chin with thumb and finger, "the Whim's been tugging at her cable mighty fretful this parst fortnight! The crew hoped you'd be coming aboard at once, sir. Fact is, we're wanting to be told how you and Mr. Thomas, here, licked those Germans."
Does not this somewhat remind us of what Rabelais describes as the employment of Queen Whim's officers, in his fifth book and twenty-second chapter?
They are counted into his dirty palm. He stuffs a whole one in his mouth, from ear to ear. His bicycle leans against the trough outside. He mounts, wabbling from side to side to reach the pedals. Before him lie the mountains of the world. Nor shall I complain if you hold roughly in your mind, subject to a whim's reversal, an evening destination to check your hunger.
Gates cocked his head and listened, then whispered to the mate who went back and changed the Whim's course. "Now, Mr. Jack," he said, in a guarded tone, "we're behind her, and dark, too; so keep all hands as quiet as mice, sir!
No man's ever betrayed me but he's suffered hell for it; and no woman shall." He raged, and the two with beating hearts waited for him. Then suddenly laughing aloud, the man turned his back, and passed into the night without more words. "Mad, so mad as any zany!" gasped Mr. Blee. "Thank God the whim's took un to go. My innards was curdlin' afore him!"
Indeed, really, she only stood there, just stood there, evening after evening, just for a whim's sake! That was a little odd. I stood and pondered over it, and it perplexed me more and more.
As our men stooped to obey the big fellow surprised us by quietly arising; and, when cushions had been arranged in a shaded place above, he laid on them as obediently as a docile mastiff. Monsieur, very much in his element, became busy at once. The Whim and the Orchid were still at grips or rather were it more correct to say the Orchid was in the Whim's grip.
Well, in the first place, simply, she had a habit of standing outside a stable door, evening after evening, without any object whatever, just for a whim's sake.... Oh, well, she might have her reason for doing so; besides, she liked staying up late at night; it was a thing she had always had a great fancy for. Did I care about going to bed before twelve?
I knew that she tempted me, and why. I was not a fool, to think that she loved me; but she was set to conquer me, and with her there was no price that seemed high when the prize was victory or a whim's fulfilment. I would have written none of this, but that it is so part and marrow of my history that without it the record of my life would go limping on one leg. She rose and came near me again.
These men were hungry for authentic first-hand information being too old to have sought it for themselves. It must not be inferred that the Whim's crew consisted of the ancient and decrepit.
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