United States or Anguilla ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
For the rest of that day we were all very quiet and restrained; pity for the dead man being mingled with a dread of taking the wheel when night came. "The wheel's haunted," said the cook, solemnly; "mark my words, there's more of you will be took the same way Dadd was." The cook, like myself, had no watch to keep.
Nothing reaches it in any way; nothing gets at it. However, I can understand her anxiety. But what's her particular distress?" "Why the illness of Miss Dadd." "And who in the world's Miss Dadd?" "Her most intimate friend and constant companion the lady who was with us here that first day." "Oh the little round black woman who gurgled with admiration?" "None other.
Yardley at the door, and twilight, which began a full hour earlier in the shop than in the Square, had cast faint shadows in corners behind counters. "Will you just run out with this to the pillar, Miss Dadd?" "With pleasure, Mrs. Povey." "Where are you going to?" Mr. Povey interrupted his conversation to stop the flying girl.
But two things, simultaneously with this and with each other, struck me with force; one of them the truth of Outreau's description of her, the other the fact that the person bringing her could only have been Lady Beldonald. She was a Holbein of the first water; yet she was also Mrs. Brash, the imported "foil," the indispensable "accent," the successor to the dreary Miss Dadd!
Her employers said 'Miss Insull' in a tone quite different from that in which they said 'Miss Hawkins, or 'Miss Dadd. 'Miss Insull' meant the end of a discussion. 'Better tell Miss Insull. 'Miss Insull will see to that. 'I shall ask Miss Insull. Miss Insull slept in the house ten nights every year.
I took fast hold of Bill's sleeve, and we both went. The light of the stars was sufficient to show that Dadd's face was very white, and that his dim, black eyes were wide open, and staring in a very strange and dreadful manner straight before him. "Dadd," said I, softly, "Dadd!"
But she was taken ill last week, and it may very well be that she'll gurgle no more. She was very bad yesterday and is no better to-day, and Nina's much upset. If anything happens to Miss Dadd she'll have to get another, and, though she has had two or three before, that won't be so easy." "Two or three Miss Dadds? is it possible? And still wanting another!" I recalled the poor lady completely now.
I took fast hold of Bill's sleeve, and we both went. The light of the stars was sufficient to show that Dadd's face was very white, and that his dim, black eyes were wide open, and staring in a very strange and dreadful manner straight before him. "Dadd," said I, softly, "Dadd!"
"Look at him," whispered Bill, bending a contorted face to mine. I walked aft a few steps, and Bill followed slowly. Then I saw that Jem Dadd was leaning forward clumsily on the wheel, with his hands clenched on the spokes. "He's asleep," said I, stopping short. Bill breathed hard. "He's in a queer sleep," said he; "kind o' trance more like. Go closer."
He was a firm believer in the transmigration of souls, some idea of which he had, no doubt, picked up in Eastern ports, and gave his shivering auditors to understand that his arrangements for his own immediate future were already perfected. We were six or seven days out when a strange thing happened. Dadd had the second watch one night, and Bill was to relieve him.
Word Of The Day