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And I remember seeing Reggie's face stiffen over the collar of the cloak as he held it. He said he didn't want to be divided. It was so startling, she told me afterwards, that she lost her head. She said out loud, so that everybody heard her, "Not with Vee-Vee?" And everybody heard his answer: "Not with Jevons." Then he laughed. In spite of the laugh Norah was quite frightened.
I might have been her brother Reggie. I said: "You mustn't mind. He was only rotting us." And she said: "He wasn't. It was true. He told me that six months ago he was starving." I said: "Vee-Vee, if he was, you mustn't think about him. You mustn't, really."
Reggie had come up on the Friday for ten days, and he stayed with the General for the weekend. He said he could stay with us for the whole week if we could have him. We were out in the hall saying good-bye, and he was getting Norah's cloak for her. The hall was full of Thesigers and guests. I remember Norah saying, "We'd love to have you. But we promised Vee-Vee to divide you with her."
"No but I think he had an idea then. He guessed that there must be something. You see we never told Vee-Vee, but he thought it was awfully queer of her to go off anywhere just when he was sailing." "Well," I said, "it was a bit odd. She must have been awfully gone on Jimmy." "She was." "Poor dear. She said she meant to burn her boats." "Don't you see that was part of the burning.
"Till then for Heaven's sake let the poor thing have peace for three days to think in." "That's all very well," I said, "but what are we to say to Jimmy when he comes back this afternoon?" "You say you say she's tired of of Amershott and wants three days in London to herself. No, you don't. You don't say anything. You leave it to me. Vee-Vee said it was to be left to me."
"Well put, Babbalanja; come nearer; here, cross your legs by mine; you have risen a cubit in my regard. Vee-Vee, bring us that gourd of wine; so, pass it round with the cups. Now, Yoomy, a song!" And a song was sung. And thus did we sail; pleasantly reclining on the mats stretched out beneath the canopied howdah. At length, we drew nigh to a rock, called Pella, or The Theft.
Cautiously evading the dangerous currents here ruffling the lagoon, we rounded the wall of cliff; and shot upon a smooth expanse; on one side, hemmed in by the long, verdent, northern shore of Juam; and across the water, sentineled by its tributary islets. With sonorous Vee-Vee in the shark's mouth, we swept toward the beach, tumultuous with a throng. Our canoes were secured.
Can't you see that it's you with your ridiculous suspicions that have given me away?" Norah answered her. "Oh, Vee-Vee," she said, "we hadn't any suspicions. The message was to tell you that Charlie was in the train. We knew you didn't know it." To this Viola said coldly, "Walter didn't." I tried to reassure her, but she waved me away with her hands and implored me to "let her think."
Had they anticipated just such a sudden, disconcerting encounter? Had they thought it all out and arranged with each other beforehand how they should behave? I don't know. I never cared to ask her. The game lasted some little time. I say, Vee-Vee, you might have told me." He fastened upon Jevons then and there. He started him off on the boxing match.
And thus, as Media had promised, we voyaged in state. To crown all, seated sideways in the high, open shark's-mouth of our prow was a little dwarf of a boy, one of Media's pages, a red conch-shell, bugle-wise suspended at his side. Among various other offices, it was the duty of little Vee-Vee to announce the advent of his master, upon drawing near to the islands in our route.
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