human
And so, I have been in Arcadia--only three weeks! I have known Anthea only twenty-one days! A ridiculously short time, as time goes,--in any other place but Arcadia,--and yet sufficient to lay for ever, the--er--Haunting Spectre of the Might Have Been. Lord! what a preposterous ass I was! Baxter was quite right,--utterly, and completely right! Now, let us suppose that this paragraph had read: 'To-day, at St. George's, Hanover Square, Anthea Devine to--' No no,--confound it! and Bellew crumpled up the paper, and tossed it into a distant corner.
gpt
I wonder what Baxter would think of me now,--good old faithful John. The Haunting Spectre of the Might Have Been,--What a preposterous ass!--what a monumental idiot I was!
human
Posterous ass, isn't a very pretty word, Uncle Porges,--or continental idiot!
gpt
True, nephew, he answered,
human
Uncle Porges, said he, at last,
gpt
Indeed, I hope not, Porges,--why do you ask?
human
Well,--'cause my Auntie Anthea's 'fraid you do.
gpt
Is she--hum!--Why?
human
When she came to 'tuck me up,' last night, she sat down on my bed, an' talked to me a long time. An' she sighed a lot, an' said she was 'fraid I didn't care for her any more,--which was awful' silly, you know.
gpt
Yes, of course!
human
An' then she asked me why I was so fond of you, an' I said 'cause you were my Uncle Porges that I found under a hedge. An' then she got more angrier than ever, an' said she wished I'd left you under the hedge--
gpt
Did she, my Porges?
human
Yes; she said she wished she'd never seen you, an' she'd be awful' glad when you'd gone away. So I told her you weren't ever going away, an' that we were waiting for the Money Moon to come, an' bring us the fortune. An' then she shook her head, an' said 'Oh! my dear,--you mustn't believe anything he says to you about the moon, or anything else, 'cause he tells lies,'--an' she said 'lies' twice!
gpt
Ah!--and--did she stamp her foot, Porges?
human
Yes, I think she did; an' then she said there wasn't such a thing as a Money Moon, an' she told me you were going away very soon, to get married, you know.
gpt
And what did you say?
human
Oh! I told her that I was going too. An' then I thought she was going to cry, an' she said 'Oh Georgy! I didn't think you'd leave me--even for him.' So then I had to s'plain how we had arranged that she was going to marry you so that we could all live happy ever after,--I mean, that it was all settled, you know, an' that you were going to speak to her on the first--opportunity. An' then she looked at me a long time an' asked me--was I sure you had said so. An' then she got awful' angry indeed, an' said 'How dare he! Oh, how dare he!' So a course, I told her you'd dare anything--even a dragon,--'cause you are so big, an' brave, you know. So then she went an' stood at the window, an' she was so angry she cried,--an' I nearly cried too. But at last she kissed me 'Good night' an' said you were a man that never meant anything you said, an' that I must never believe you any more, an' that you were going away to marry a lady in London, an' that she was very glad, 'cause then we should all be happy again she s'posed. So she kissed me again, an' tucked me up, an' went away. But it was a long, long time before I could go to sleep, 'cause I kept on thinking, an' thinking s'posing there really wasn't any Money Moon, after all! s'posing you were going to marry another lady in London!--You see, it would all be so--frightfully awful, wouldn't it?
gpt
Terribly dreadfully awful, my Porges.
human
But you never _do_ tell lies,--do you, Uncle Porges?
gpt
No!
human
An'--there _is_ a Money Moon, isn't there?
gpt
Why of course there is.
human
An' you _are_ going to marry my Auntie Anthea in the full o' the moon, aren't you?
gpt
Yes, my Porges.
human
Why then--everything's all right again,--so let's go an' sit under the hay-stack, an' talk 'bout ships.
gpt
But why of ships?
human
You'd find it more convenient, perhaps.
gpt
You know all 'bout oceans, an' waves, and billows, don't you Uncle Porges?
human
Well, I know a little.
gpt
An' are you ever sea-sick,--like a 'landlubber?'
human
I used to be, but I got over it.
gpt
Was it a very big ship that you came over in?
human
No,--not so very big, but she's about as fast as anything in her class, and a corking sea-boat.
gpt
What's her name?
human
Her name? repeated Bellew,
gpt
That's an awful' pretty name for a ship.
human
Hum!--so so,--but I have learned a prettier, and next time she puts out to sea we'll change her name, eh, my Porges?
gpt
We? cried Small Porges, looking up with eager eyes,
human
You don't suppose I'd leave either of you behind, if I could help it, do you? We'd all sail away together--wherever you wished.
gpt
Do you mean, said Small Porges, in a suddenly awed voice,
human
Oh yes-
gpt
But,--do you know, Uncle Porges, you don't look as though you had a ship--for your very own, somehow.
human
Don't I?
gpt
You see, a ship is such a very big thing for one man to have for his very own self. An' has it got masts, an' funnels, an' anchors?
human
Lots of 'em.
gpt
Then, please, when will you take me an' Auntie Anthea sailing all over the oceans?
human
Just so soon as she is ready to come.
gpt
Then I think I'd like to go to Nova Zembla first,--I found it in my jogafrey to-day, an' it sounds nice an' far off, doesn't it?
human
It does, Shipmate!
gpt
Oh! that's fine! exclaimed Small Porges rapturously,
human
Aye, aye Shipmate!
gpt
Then please, Uncle Por--I mean Captain,--what shall we name our ship,--I mean the new name?
human
Well, my Porges,--I mean, of course, shipmate,--I rather thought of calling her--Hallo!--why here's the Sergeant.
gpt
King Arthur
human
Why Sergeant, how are you? said Bellew, gripping the veteran's hand.
gpt
You are half an hour before your usual time, to-day,--nothing wrong, I hope?
human
Nothing wrong, Mr. Bellew, sir--I thank you. No, nothing wrong, but this--is a--memorable occasion, sir. May I trouble you to--step behind the tree with me--for half a moment, sir?