Francis William Lauderdale Adams

“ I'm afraid the sea disturbed your little stomach. Do you feel ill?'
'No,' she said; 'I'm all right, thank you.'
'Then let's go up and wash ourselves. I feel filthy.' We went up into the bedroom together, and made some discoveries regarding the quantity of water here considered sufficient for the ablutions of two. However, this difficulty also was at last overcome; but we gave up the soap in despair. It was just after this that the fat hostess reappeared with considerable complacency, producing a species of scrubbing-brush, as being, à coup sûr, what monsieur required. ”

“ If he were a true man, it would be enough: if he were not, then let each go on his separate way. It was as nothing to me. Only one acquaintance the less.... Should I never have a friend?
In the morning Rosy and I set out together in pursuit of a house, or rather a flat, to suit us. After some trouble, I remembered that, when I had been at the pension in the Avenue de Fontenoi, I had noticed a flat that was to let, some way up the street, which had impressed me favourably for some reason or other. ”

“ She had to dree her own weird, and I too, with what light conscience and knowledge could impart. That was all. All that day I felt I had done a wrong to Rosy. If there was a victim anywhere, it was she.
'Then came Strachan.—I told him simply that it was impossible for me to return to London, at any rate, at present: I hoped never. I was going on to Paris in September, and might perhaps take up my permanent abode there. Could not the proof sheets be sent to me there, and from me on to him? I would write to him again from the Hôtel de Manchester, Rue Faubourg St. ”

“ I hoped Parker, Innes, and Co. had accepted the Book all right. I should stay at the Hôtel de Manchester till I found a house to please me. But, more later. I asked him to excuse haste and confusion. As a matter of fact, I hated pens, ink, and paper now. ”

“ To write at all required an effort. I was thinking of buying a vineyard, and eating fruit till I brought on—whatever the disease was that was induced by a surfeit of grapes. I hoped Mrs. Strachan and the Miss Strachans were well. It was rather dull weather here. We had not had a fine summer for long. I doubted we ever should have one again. And I remained, etc., etc'
A few days after this, a small troop of students and girls who, the fat hostess assured me, were their brides, arrived, and we had rather noisy times of it at dinner. Rosy did not like any of them. ”

“ And going, first opened and left open the sitting-room door, and then the bedroom door, and returned, intending to carry her up to bed. The dear child let herself be lifted with no more trouble than a few uneasy sounds and movements of her arms ”