FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79  
80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   >>   >|  
s in the air by way of relaxation, and was beginning to remember that midday meals were not unknown to man, when the negress before mentioned entered with a small round brass tray, on which were two covered dishes. The middy lowered his hands in prompt confusion, for he had not attained to the Moors' sublime indifference to the opinion or thought of slaves. He was about to speak, but checked the impulse. It was wiser to hold his tongue! A kindliness of disposition, however, induced him to smile and nod--attentions which impelled the negress, as she retired, to display her teeth and gums to an extent that no one would believe if we were to describe it. On examination it was found that one of the dishes contained a savoury compound of rice and chicken, with plenty of butter and other substances--some of which were sweet. The other dish contained little rolls of bread. Both dishes appeared to Foster to be made of embossed gold--or brass, but he knew and cared not which. Coffee in a cup about the size and shape of an egg was his beverage. While engaged with the savoury and altogether unexpected meal, our hero felt his elbow touched. Looking round he saw the gazelle looking at him with an expression in its beautiful eyes that said plainly, "Give me my share." "You shall have it, my dear," said the artist, handing the creature a roll, with which it retired contentedly to its cushion. "Perhaps," thought the youth, as he pensively sipped his coffee, "this room may be sometimes used by Hester! It obviously forms part of the seraglio." Strange old fellow, Ben-Ahmed, to allow men like me to invade such a place. The thought of the ladies of the harem somehow suggested his mother and sister, and when poor George got upon this pair of rails he was apt to be run away with, and to forget time and place. The reverie into which he wandered was interrupted, however, by the gazelle asking for more. As there was no more, it was fain to content itself with a pat on the head as the painter rose to resume his work. The drawing was by this time all pencilled in most elaborately, and the middy opened the water-colour box to examine the paints. As he did so, he again remarked on the familiar English look of the materials, and was about to begin rubbing down a little of one of the cakes--moist colours had not been invented--when he observed some writing in red paint on the back of the palette. He started and flushed, w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79  
80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

dishes

 

thought

 

gazelle

 
retired
 
savoury
 

contained

 
negress
 

ladies

 

invade

 

George


sister
 

suggested

 

mother

 

flushed

 

pensively

 
sipped
 

coffee

 

Perhaps

 

cushion

 
handing

artist

 
creature
 

contentedly

 

Strange

 

fellow

 

seraglio

 

Hester

 
wandered
 

paints

 

remarked


examine

 

opened

 

colour

 

writing

 

familiar

 

rubbing

 

colours

 

invented

 

English

 

observed


materials

 

elaborately

 

interrupted

 

palette

 

forget

 

reverie

 
started
 

content

 

resume

 

drawing