[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

face streamed with perspiration.
"I am indeed sorry to see you like this," I said, bending over him. "How do
you feel now?"
Page 57
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Very bad indeed!" he answered, with a groan. "I cannot understand it at all.
Before I got out of bed this morning I felt as well as possible. Then Mr
Baxter was kind enough to bring me a cup of coffee, and within five minutes of
drinking it, I was obliged to go back to bed feeling hopelessly sick and
miserable."
"Well, you must try and get round as soon as you can, and come on deck;
there's a splendid breeze blowing, and you'll find that will clear the
sickness out of you before you know where you are."
But his only reply was another awful fit of sickness, that made as if it would
tear his chest asunder. While he was under the influence of it, his tutor
entered, and set about ministering to him with a care and fatherly tenderness
that even deceived me. I can see things more plainly now, on looking back at
them, than I could then, but I must own that Baxter's behaviour towards the
boy that morning was of a kind that would have hoodwinked the very Master of
All Lies himself. I could easily understand now how this man had come to have
such an influence over the kindlynatured Duke of Glenbarth, who, when all was
said and done, could have had but small experience of men of Baxter's type.
Seeing that, instead of helping, I was only in the way, I expressed a hope
that the patient would soon be himself again, and returned to the deck.
Luncheon came, and still Lord Beckenham was unable to leave his berth. In the
evening he was no better.
The following morning he was, if anything, stronger; but towards midday, just
as he was thinking of getting up, his nausea returned upon him, and he was
obliged to postpone the attempt. On Wednesday there was no improvement, and,
indeed, it was not until Thursday afternoon, when the lowlying coast of Port
Said was showing above the sealine, that he felt in any way fit to leave his
bunk. In all my experience of seasickness I
had never known a more extraordinary case.
It was almost dark before we dropped our anchor off the town, and as soon as
we were at a standstill I went below to my friend's cabin. He was sitting on
the locker fully dressed.
"Port Said," I announced. "Now, how do you feel about going ashore?
Personally, I don't think you had better try it."
"Oh! but I want to go. I have been looking forward to it so much. I am much
stronger than I was, believe me, and Mr. Baxter doesn't think it could
possibly hurt me."
"If you don't tire yourself too much," that gentleman put in.
"Very well, then," I said. "In that case I'm your man. There are plenty of
boats alongside, so we'll have no difficulty about getting there. Won't you
come, too, Mr. Baxter?"
"I think not, thank you," he answered. "Port Said is not a place of which I am
very fond, and as we shall not have much time here, I am anxious to utilize
our stay in writing His Grace a letter detailing our progress so far."
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
61
"In that case I think we had better be going," I said, turning to his
lordship.
We made our way on deck, and, after a little chaffering, secured a boat, in
which we were pulled ashore.
Having arrived there, we were immediately beset by the usual crowd of beggars
and donkey boys, but withstanding their importunities, we turned into the Rue
de Commerce and made our way inland. To my companion the crowded streets, the
diversity of nationalities and costume, and the strange variety of shops and
wares, were matters of absorbing interest. This will be the better understood
when it is remembered that, poor though Port Said is in orientalism, it was
nevertheless the first Eastern port he had encountered. We had both a few
purchases to make, and this business satisfactorily accomplished, we hired a
Page 58
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
guide and started off to see the sights.
Passing out of the Rue de Commerce, our attention was attracted by a lame
young beggar who, leaning on his crutches, blocked our way while he recited
his dismal catalogue of woes. Our guide bade him be off, and indeed I was not
sorry to be rid of him, but I could see, by glancing at his face, that my
companion had taken his case more seriously. In fact we had not proceeded more
than twenty yards before he asked me to wait a moment for him, and taking to
his heels ran back to the spot where we had left him. When he rejoined us I
said:
"You don't mean to say that you gave that rascal money?"
"Only half a sovereign," he answered. "Perhaps you didn't hear the pitiful
story he told us? His father is dead, and now, if it were not for his begging,
his mother and five young sisters would all be starving." I asked our guide if
he knew the man, and whether his tale were true.
"No, monsieur," he replied promptly, "it is all one big lie. His father is in
the jail, and, if she had her rights, his mother would be there too." Not
another word was said on the subject, but I could see that the boy's generous [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]