FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   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   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   >>   >|  
Matthews was to sharpen the sense of strangeness, of remoteness, which this bizarre galley, come from unknown waters, had brought into the familiar muddy Karun. "As a matter of fact," went on the Brazilian, "it's an anklet. But can you make it out? Those spindles are Persian, while the filigree is more Byzantine than anything else. You find funny things up there, in caves--" He tossed a vague hand, into which Matthews put the anklet, saying: "Take it before I steal it!" "Keep it, won't you?" proposed the astonishing Brazilian. "Oh, thanks. But I could hardly do that," Matthews replied. "Why not?" protested Magin. "As a souvenir of a pleasant meeting! I have a ton of them." He waved his hand at the chests. "No, really, thanks," persisted the young man. "And I'm afraid we must be getting on. I don't know the river, you see, and I'd like to reach Dizful before dark." The Brazilian studied him a moment. "As you say," he finally conceded. "But you will at least have another drink before you go?" "No, not even that, thanks," said Matthews. "We really must be off. But it's been very decent of you." He felt both awkward and amused as he backed out to the deck, followed by his imposing host. At sight of the two the crew scattered to their oars. They had been leaning over the side, absorbed in admiration of the white jinn-boat. Matthews' Persian servant handed up to Magin's butler a tray of tea glasses--on which Matthews also noted a bottle. In honor of that bottle Gaston himself stood up and took off his greasy cap. "A thousand thanks, Monsieur," he said. "I have tasted nothing so good since I left France." "In that case, my friend," rejoined Magin in French as good as his English, "it is time you returned!" And he abounded in amiable speeches and ceremonious bows until the last _au revoir_. "_Au plaisir!_" called back Gaston, having invoked his jinni. Then, after a last look at the barge, he asked over his shoulder in a low voice: "Who is this extraordinary type, M'sieu Guy? A species of an Arab, who speaks French and English and who voyages in a galley from a museum!" "A Brazilian, he says," imparted M'sieu Guy--whose surname was beyond Gaston's gallic tongue. "Ah! The uncle of America! That understands itself! He sent me out a cognac, too! And did he present you to his _dame de compagnie_? She put her head out of a porthole to look at our boat. A Lur, like the others, but with a pair of bl
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   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   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Matthews
 

Brazilian

 

Gaston

 

French

 

English

 
galley
 
bottle
 

Persian

 
anklet
 

abounded


returned

 

butler

 
speeches
 

ceremonious

 
handed
 

servant

 
amiable
 
thousand
 

France

 

Monsieur


greasy

 

friend

 

rejoined

 

tasted

 

glasses

 

cognac

 

present

 

understands

 

tongue

 

America


compagnie

 
porthole
 

gallic

 

shoulder

 

invoked

 
plaisir
 

called

 
admiration
 

museum

 
imparted

surname
 

voyages

 
speaks
 
extraordinary
 

species

 

revoir

 
tossed
 

things

 
proposed
 

protested