George A. Birmingham

“ I haven't played cards since I left college, and even there I didn't cheat."
"Do you expect us to believe that out of all possible places on this island where that treasure might have been hidden you lit on that cave straight off by accident?"
"I don't expect you to believe anything of the sort. What I said was, that I arrived at the cave by a process of reasoning. You may not be able to reason yourself, but there's no use denying that other people can."
"Strikes me as a bit thick, that. What do you say, Langton?"
"It's a damned lie," said Langton. ”

“ In fact, I thought I'd met every kind of man there is in the world. But I'm hanged—'hanged' isn't swearing, it's only a form of emphasis—I'm hanged if I ever met quite as queer a fellow as you."
"What do you propose to do now?" ”

“ There's nothing religious about that remark."
"There is," said Meldon. "To stick a man is a form of swindling, and swindling is a distinct breach of one of the Ten Commandments. There isn't a sect of Christians in the world which doesn't profess to have more or less respect for the Ten Commandments, therefore your remark about sticking Langton over the boat is in the highest degree sectarian and a distinct infringement of the terms of our agreement."
"I've knocked about a good deal in my day," said Sir Giles, "and I've met lots of queer people. ”

“ Spindrift ahoy!"
"It can't be Higginbotham," said Meldon. "He always comes on board without hailing. It must be that new Member of Parliament off the steam yacht."
"Let's lie low then and pretend we're not here."
"Nonsense. Members of Parliament are often extremely amusing. We'll have him in and listen to him talking about the Irish problem. Get out the whisky, Major. These fellows all drink whisky when they come to this country, whether they actually like it or not. ”

“ I told Langton the story of my grandfather's diary and the Spanish treasure on Inishgowlan. It turned out that Langton had read somewhere——"
"In Trinity College Library," said Langton, "before I resigned my post there."
"Resigned?" said Meldon with a grin.
"If politics are barred," said Sir Giles, "so are offensive remarks. I have agreed to respect Major Kent's feelings about the Union Jack, though I'm blest if I understand how they come in. You must not insult my friend Langton."
"I apologise," said Meldon. "We'll be non-sectarian as well as non-political." ”

“ I wouldn't have bothered myself about the papers at all, only that just at the time they came I had nothing in the world to do. I don't mind owning that I was pretty well stony-broke just then and was stuck in a lodging in a dirty little French town. I read the papers. Among them was an old diary kept by my grandfather. ”