Копи царя Соломона
Water! WATER!
IftheCardinalhadbeentherewithhisbell,book,andcandle, Iwouldhavewhippedinanddrunkhiswaterup;yes,evenifhehadfilleditalreadywiththesudsofsoap"worthyofwashingthehandsofthePope," andIknewthatthewholeconsecratedcurseoftheCatholicChurchshouldfalluponmeforsodoing. IalmostthinkthatImusthavebeenalittlelight-headedwiththirst,wearinessandthewantoffood; forIfelltothinkinghowastonishedtheCardinalandhisnicelittleboyandthejackdawwouldhavelookedtoseeaburntup,brown-eyed,grizzly-hairedlittleelephanthuntersuddenlyboundbetweenthem,puthisdirtyfaceintothebasin,andswalloweverydropofthepreciouswater. TheideaamusedmesomuchthatIlaughedorrathercackledaloud,whichwoketheothers,andtheybegantorubtheirdirtyfacesanddragtheirgummed-uplipsandeyelidsapart.
Assoonaswewereallwellawakewebegantodiscussthesituation,whichwasseriousenough. Notadropofwaterwasleft. Weturnedthebottlesupsidedown,andlickedtheirtops,butitwasafailure;theyweredryasabone. Good,whohadchargeoftheflaskofbrandy,gotitoutandlookedatitlongingly; butSirHenrypromptlytookitawayfromhim,fortodrinkrawspiritwouldonlyhavebeentoprecipitatetheend.
"Ifwedonotfindwaterweshalldie,"hesaid.
"IfwecantrusttotheoldDom’smapthereshouldbesomeabout,"Isaid; butnobodyseemedtoderivemuchsatisfactionfromthisremark.Itwassoevidentthatnogreatfaithcouldbeputinthemap.
