Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

108 NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS.
finally, protesting that she dared not spoil the absurdest
houseful ef madmen in the whole of London, departed
(as she vaguely phrased it) for the continent of Europe.
She Avas no sooner gone, than Somerset encountered
in the corridor the Irish nurse ; sober, to all appearance,
and yet a prey to singularly strong emotion. It was
made to appear, from her account, that Mr. Jones had
already suffered acutely in his health from Mrs. Lux-
more's visit, and that nothing short of a full explanation
could allay the invalid's uneasiness. Somerset, somewhat
staring, told what he thought fit of the affair.
' Is that all ? ' cried the woman. ' As God sees you,
is that all ? '
' My good Avoman,' said the young man, ' I have no
idea Avhat you can be driving at. Suppose the lady were
my friend's wife, suppose she were my fairy godmother,
suppose she were the Queen of Portugal ; and how
should that affect yourself or Mr. Jones ? '
' Blessed Mary ! ' cried the nurse, ' it's he that will be
glad to hear it ! '
And immediately she fled upstairs.
Somerset, on his part, returned to the dining-room,
and with a very thoughtful brow and ruminating many
theories, disposed of the remainder of the bottle. It
was port ; and port is a Avine, sole among its equals and
superiors, that can in some degree support the competi-
tion of tobacco. Sipping, smoking, and theorising,
Somerset moved on from suspicion to suspicion, from
resolve to resolve, still growing braver and rosier as the
bottle ebbed. He Avas a sceptic, none prouder of the
name ; he had no horror at command, Avhether for
crimes or vices, but beheld and embraced the Avorld, Avith
an immoral approbation, the frequent consequence of
youth and health. At the same time, he felt convinced
that he dAvelt under the same roof Avith secret malefac-
tors ; and the unregenerate instinct of the chase impelled
him to severity. The bottle had run Ioav ; the summer
sun had finally AvithdraAvn ; and at the same moment,
night and the pangs of hunger recalled him from his
dreams.