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Show She had known all about Crumpet after talking to him for half an hour. She had even read him at a glance, divined exactly his tastes, realized his foibles, summed up his faults and his virtues, "placed" him, in fact. England breeds such men all the time to follow her traditions, to live and to die British to the bone. Crumpet was a thorough Englishman, a right-down goad-fellow, to be trusted at sight. Well, she had trusted him and married him. And ever since then she had had a good time. And her one aim in life had been just that -to have a good time. And now? What did she want? How silly and ridiculous and maddening it all was! Suddenly she got up. Intending to stay one night at El-Akbara, they had sent on their servants with of the heavy luggage to BeniMora, to engage the best rooms, see to s• their arrangement, unpack, and everything ready and charming their arrival. She had meant play at roughing it here. Now she looked about for her stockings and slippers by the light of a candle. j When at length she had found them she wrapped herself up in a fur ' - stepped out onto the veranda, and gan to walk up and down. She andrepassedCrumpet'swindow. Once or twice she stopped in front of it, hesitating. She was half inclined to go into his room, to wake him, to tell him that he must think no more of I Barbary sheep, but take her away on rJ I the morrow to Beni-Mora. Then she r1!fR( walked on again, saying to herself that -~ it would be a shame to wake the tired .. . • man who was snoring so rhythmically. . If only Crumpet didn't snore! ·, - Lady Wyverne caught herself won~ dering whether other people - yes, other people--snored. 53 |