'"
"Excellent!" she exclaimed,--"just the sort of person for this place;
and what is the other one?"
"Oh, he is an Understudy," I replied.
"Delightful," she said; "I never saw one. And here come my brother and
the Shell Man."
I was now introduced formally by my new title to the Middle-Aged Man of
the Sea, a hearty personage, with a curling beard, and to the Shell Man,
who was tall, and wore spectacles.
When my presence was explained, the brother was as cordial as the lady
had been, and proffered any assistance which I might need during my
sojourn on the island. When they took their leave, the Sand Lady urged
me to inhabit her island as long as I pleased, and hoped that I and the
Understudy would sometimes sail over to them, and see what it was to be
on a Tangent. At this I shook my head, and they all laughed at me; but
it was easy to see that they were people of very friendly dispositions.
When I reported my interview to Walkirk, he remarked, "It is impossible
to get away from people, but in all probability these folks will not
come here again."
"Perhaps not," I answered, and dropped the subject.
XXIV.
THE INTERPOLATION.
"They did not seem in the least surprised to find us here," I said to
Walkirk, as we were eating our dinner.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148