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If any fourth gentleman had been present to assist in "spending the evening," as Zack chose to phrase it, at the small social soiree in Kirk Street; and if that gentleman had deserted the festive board as the clock struck nine had walked about the streets to enjoy himself in the fresh air and had then, as the clock struck ten, returned to the society of his convivial companions, he would most assuredly have been taken by surprise, on beholding the singular change which the lapse of one hour had been sufficient to produce in the manners and conversation of Mr.
"What do you make of this?" the Colonel asked in a cautious tone, when they had recognized Dale advancing, instead of the expected Potter. "Squirrel hunting," Bob answered. "He told Zack." Dale came with the long stride peculiar to his people, the stride with which they cover thirty miles a day and think it no great walk. "Good mawnin'," he called, in a drawling voice.
I'd like to see you find any pony stock better'n that!" Uncle Zack appeared to ponder over this. As a matter of fact, he had once told Bip this same thing in these very words. Now he temporized by squinting up at the sun. "An' what's more," the little fellow hotly declared, "they're both registered way back to the war an' lots before that!
"Come to your lesson, sir, directly," said Valentine, assuming his most despotic voice, and leading the disorderly student by the collar to his appointed place. "Hullo!" cried Zack, looking at the Dying Gladiator. "The gentleman in plaster's making a face I'm afraid he isn't quite well.
"Nothing particular," pursued Zack, undauntedly, "except that it's odd you never brought them out before; and odder still that you should tell Blyth, and never say a word here to me, about getting them for a woman " "What of her?" broke out Mat, rising to his feet with flushed face and threatening eyes, and making the room ring again as he grounded his rifle on the floor.
'By the bye, I further found out what made the Captain enlist. 'Trust you for doing that! laughed her sister. 'Really it was not on purpose, but old Zack Skilly was indulging me with some of his ancient smuggling experiences, in what he evidently views as the heroic age of Rockquay. "Men was men, then," he says.
Here he transferred his superlatives to his fingers, communicating them to Madonna through the medium of the deaf and dumb alphabet, which he had superficially mastered with extraordinary rapidity under Mr. and Mrs. Blyth's tuition. Whatever Zack's friends did Zack always admired with the wildest enthusiasm, and without an instant's previous consideration.
Never owe any man enough, Zack, to give him the chance of punishing you for being in his debt, with a sum to do in simple addition. You will hardly believe me, but I don't remember ever making the sum what the shop made it, on more than about three occasions. And, what was worse, if I tried a second time, I could not even get it to agree with what I had made it myself the first time.
Zack was ill, and lonely, and miserable; longing for a friend to sit by his bedside and comfort him and she could not be that friend! But Zack was also poor; she had read it in his letter; there were many little things he wanted to pay for; he needed money and in that need she might secretly be a friend to him, for she had money of her own to give away.
He crumpled up the paper and rose hastily, brushing away the tears with his hand, and feeling a strange dread and distrust of himself as he did so. It was rarely, very rarely, that his eyes were moistened as they were moistened now. Few human beings have lived to be twenty years of age without shedding more tears than had ever been shed by Zack.
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