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Updated: June 28, 2025
Nothing could exceed the languid grace of the latter part of this speech, nothing except the easy unconsciousness with which she glided by the offered chair of her stammering, embarrassed host and stood beside the open hearth. "Barker will tell you," she continued, warming her feet by the fire, "that I am Miss Portfire, daughter of Major Portfire, commanding the post. Ah, excuse me, child!"
The next moment, however, Miss Portfire had apparently forgotten him and was examining the Princess through her glass. "And what is your name, child?" The Princess, beatified by the eyes and eyeglass, showed all her white teeth at once, and softly scratched her leg. "Bob?" "Bob? What a singular name!" Miss Portfire's host here hastened to explain the origin of the Princess's title.
Do you know this is exceedingly interesting to me, so pastoral and patriarchal and all that sort of thing. I must insist upon the Princess coming back; really, I must." But the Princess was not to be found in the shed, and Miss Portfire, who the next minute seemed to have forgotten all about her, took her place in the single chair before an extemporized table.
At length the screaming and shrieking of the birds, and clang of their the cattle, ceased; and the startled fish oozy caverns at the bottom of the sea, disappeared; and all was again black and undistinguishable, the deathlike silence being only broken by the hoarse murmuring of the distant surf. "Magnificent!" burst from the Captain. "Messenger, send Mr Portfire here."
Hand in hand also they walked to the shore, and when the Princess had been safely bestowed in the stern sheets, Miss Portfire turned and held out her own to her late host. "I shall take the best of care of her, of course. You will come and see her often. I should ask you to come and see me, but you are a hermit, you know, and all that sort of thing.
Barker stood behind her, and the hermit leaned against the fireplace. Miss Portfire's appetite did not come up to her protestations. For the first time in seven years it occurred to the hermit that his ordinary victual might be improved. He stammered out something to that effect. "I have eaten better, and worse," said Miss Portfire, quietly. "But I thought you that is, you said "
Glad to escape the scrutiny of his guest, the hermit gave a few rapid directions to the Princess in her native tongue, and disappeared in the shed. Left a moment alone, Miss Portfire took a quick, half-audible, feminine inventory of the cabin. She took a book from the swinging shelf and resumed her seat by the fire as the Princess re-entered with fresh fuel.
With the first red streaks of dawn the next day the erect Barker touched his cap at the door of the hut. Beside him stood the hermit, also just risen from his blanketed nest in the sand. Forth from the hut, fresh as the morning air, stepped Miss Portfire, leading the Princess by the hand.
"Like your nephew, Portfire am much pleased with him promising young officer very smart and intelligent seems steady too shall keep my eye on him." Which, of course, was very gratifying. I drove to the office next day at noon, Sir Peregrine accompanying me, but this time he remained in his carriage while I went inside.
I showed my wish to please; and though afterwards a few attempts were made to snub me, I took them all in good humour, as if they were intended as jokes, and finally established myself as a favourite with the mess, and I may, I believe, honestly say, with nearly everybody on board. As soon as possible we went out to Spithead, and joined a large squadron under command of Sir Peppery Portfire.
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