Moggridge
paid impressive court to Mrs. Goodwyn-Sandys, though uneasily, for
Sophia's saddened eyes were upon him.
Yet everybody seemed in the best of spirits and tempers.
The Admiral, after bestowing his wife in another boat, and glaring
vindictively at Kit's House, where the figure of Mr. Fogo was visible
on the beach, grew exceedingly jocose, and cracked his most admired
jokes, including his famous dialogue with the echo just beyond Kit's
House--a performance which Miss Limpenny declared she had seldom
heard him give with such spirit. She herself, spurred to emulation,
told her favourite story, which began, "In the Great Exhibition of
Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-one, when her Majesty--long may she
reign!--partook of a public luncheon--" and contained a most
diverting incident about a cherry-pie. And always, at decent
intervals, she would exclaim--
"Did you ever see anything more lovely?"
To which the Admiral as religiously would reply--
"Really, I never did."
Indeed the scene was, as Mrs. Goodwyn-Sandys, in another boat,
observed, "Like a poet's dream"--a remark at which Mr. Moggridge
blushed very much. I wish I could linger and describe with amorous
precision the bright talk, the glories of the day, each bend and
vista of the river which I have loved from childhood; but amid the
stress of events now crowding with epic vehemence on Troy, the Muse
must hasten.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159