human
This is a queer contrivance of yours, my man. I thought Mr. O’Reilly was a lunatic when he told me he’d arrived in a yacht, without being sick, and himself a bad sailor——
gpt
I am that, put in O’Reilly, parenthetically.
human
I wouldn’t like to say how much the Irish Sea is owing me.
gpt
But I see he’s not so mad as I supposed,
human
Sure you’d be the better of a voyage in her yourself,
gpt
Thank you. I think I prefer the real article. Not many of these machines in the market, are there?
human
None, sir, replied Eves, promptly.
gpt
It’s the first, a brand-new invention of my friend Templeton here, second lieutenant in the Blankshire Rifles. He’s a repatriated prisoner of war, employing his leave in working out ideas that germinated in captivity. That accounts for his being improperly dressed.
human
Indeed! Is this the Mr. Templeton who narrowly escaped gassing my old friend Colonel Beavis?
gpt
A pure accident, sir, due to the colonel’s adventurous spirit and a loose screw. Templeton was very much cut up about it.
human
Dry up!
gpt
Well, I congratulate Mr. O’Reilly, said the colonel, his eyes twinkling.
human
I gather that but for Mr. Templeton’s road yacht he wouldn’t have got here till after twelve, and he seemed a little hurt when I told him that a few minutes are neither here nor there. One must give a time limit, of course; but I shouldn’t have turned down a good offer that happened to arrive a few minutes late. But what’s this?
gpt
This way, governor.
human
Two to one on the long un.