Дни грёз
A Saga Of The Seas
TheLordMayorwaswaitingtheretoreceiveus,andwithhimseveralAdmiralsoftheFleet,aswewalkeddownthelaneofpushing,enthusiasticDevonians,thePrincessandI,andourwar-worn,weather-beaten,spoil-ladencrew.EverybodywasveryniceabouttheFrenchfrigate,andthepiratebooty,andthescarsstillfreshonouryounglimbs;yetIthinkwhatIlikedbestofallwas,thattheyallpronouncedthePrincesstobeaduck,andapeerless,brown-haireddarling,andatruemateforahero,andoftherightPrincess-breed.
Theairwasthickwithinvitationsandwiththesmellofcivicbanquetsinaforwardstage;butIsternlywavedallfestivitiesaside.Thecoaches-and-fourIhadorderedimmediatelyonarrivingwereblockingthewholeoftheHighStreet;thechampingofbitsandthepawingofgravelsummonedustotakeourseatsandbeoff,towheretherealperformanceawaitedus,comparedwithwhichallthiswasbutaninterlude.IplacedthePrincessinthemosthighlygildedcoachofthelot,andmountedtomyplaceatherside;andtherestofthecrewscrambledonboardoftheothersasbesttheymight.Thewhipscrackedandthecrowdscatteredandcheeredaswebrokeintoagallopforhome.Thenoisybellsburstintoafarewellpeal—
Yes,thatwasundoubtedlytheusualbellforschool-roomtea.Andhightimetoo,Ithought,asItumbledoutofthebath,whichwasbeginningtofeelveryhardtotheprojectingportionsofmyframe-work
