human
There, you see, he said,
gpt
and he served the other troughs the same.
human
Now, look here, Alison Dale, he said, as he replaced the bellows, and locked the box,
gpt
I'll leave the key behind this trough, and if you would not mind, I should be greatly obliged if you would give the fish a little air now and then just to help me, for I should dearly like to keep the poor things alive.
human
Oh yes, I said,
gpt
I'll do it whenever I have a chance, but I don't quite understand; I thought fish breathed water.
human
With air in it. If there is no air to mingle with the water, the fish soon die.
gpt
But air over the water, you mean,
human
No; in the water; it will hold an enormous deal of air or gas. Look at soda-water, for instance, how full of gas that is, and how the tiny beads come bubbling out as soon as the pressure is removed. Now, if I only had a few fish in these troughs, there would be plenty of air for them naturally in the water, but with so many in my charge, he sighed,
gpt
All right, then, we'll supply it artificially; but it looks very comic to be blowing the water with bellows instead of the fire, and if Walters catches me at it, he'll tell everybody that I've gone mad.
human
Then you will help me?
gpt
Oh yes, I'll help you, I replied, and he looked so big and boyish that I felt as if I ought to slap him over the back and call him
human
Thank you, thank you, he said in his mild way;
gpt
Yes, I said;
human
Eh? Was I? he said, looking quite red in the face, and uneasy.
gpt
Oh, it was nothing--nothing--I--er--I hardly know what I was about to say. Yes, I do, he cried, desperately;
human
I remember now. You were close to us this morning when Mr Denning spoke to me. Did you hear what he said?
gpt
No, I was too far off, I replied;
human
Yes, he does sometimes; I'm afraid that he does not like me.
gpt
You worry him, I thought to myself,
human
Yes? said Mr Preddle;
gpt
Oh, about what you said. He is irritable, you know, from bad health.
human
Yes, he said, quite in a whisper,