United States or Belize ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Ah!" said Rapley. "Indeed, as everybody knows, the whole relationship of the Ballplatz with the Nevski Prospekt has emanated from the Wilhelmstrasse." This was a thing which personally I had not known. But I said nothing. Neither did the other men. They continued smoking, looking as innocent as they could. "Don't misunderstand me," said the Authority, "when I speak of the Nevski Prospekt.
We felt that time like his was too valuable to be wasted on things like us. "Well, I tell you," said Rapley, as we settled back into our chairs when the Great Authority had gone, "my own opinion, boys, is that the United States and England can trim Germany and Austria any day in the week and twice on Sunday."
You retain, if you like, you abolish the Cypriotic suzerainty of the Porte all right. These are matters of indifference." We all assumed a look of utter indifference. "But what about the Dardanelles? Would you have them fixed so that ships could go through, or not?" asked Rapley. He is a plain man, not easily put down and liking a plain answer. He got it.
Talked to him yesterday for two hours and thirty-five minutes by the parish church clock, just over his shop I mean the clock is. The fellow hasn't a conviction, yet he can talk you blue; if I had his powers of speech there it is I fail, you see. I have to address a meeting tomorrow; Rapley 'll be up at me, and turn me inside out. He'd do as much for the other man, if only I'd pay him.
No one spoke. The silence began to be even a little uncomfortable. It was broken by my friend Rapley, who is in wholesale hardware and who has all the intellectual bravery that goes with it. He asked the Authority straight out the question that we all wanted to put. "Just what do you mean by the Ballplatz? What is the Ballplatz?" The Authority smiled an engaging smile.
George Rapley, the bank manager, said that if he wanted a cheque cashed or anything of that sort to come right into the Royal Bank and he would do it for him. The prince had two aides-de-camp with him and a secretary, but Bob Curran said to bring them uptown too and it would be all right.
"No," said the Authority, "it's not the end of Rumania, but it is the end of Rumanian Irridentismus." That settled Nelles. "What about the Turks?" asked Rapley. "The Turks, or rather, I suppose it would be more proper to say, the Osmanli, as that is no doubt what you mean?" Rapley nodded. "Well, speaking personally, I should say that there's no difficulty in a permanent settlement in that quarter.
There is no harm done; but there they lie, roaring, kicking, sprawling, in every attitude of comic distress, whilst Jack Rapley and Mayflower, sole authors of this calamity, stand apart from the throng, fondling, and coquetting, and complimenting each other, and very visibly laughing, May in her black eyes, Jack in his wide, close-shut mouth, and his whole monkey-face, at their comrades' mischances.
The ponds are unfrozen, except where some melancholy piece of melting ice floats sullenly on the water; and cackling geese and gabbling ducks have replaced the lieutenant and Jack Rapley. The avenue is chill and dark, the hedges are dripping, the lanes knee-deep, and all nature is in a state of 'dissolution and thaw. March 6th.
His misfortune was the difficulty with which he uttered himself; even when he got over his nervousness, words came to him only in a rough-and-tumble fashion; he sputtered and fumed and beat his forehead for phrases, then ended with a hearty laugh at his own inarticulateness, Something like this was his talk in the library of nights: 'There's a man called Rapley, an old-clothes dealer fellow I can't get hold of.
Word Of The Day