"
"Why not? If _I_ can do it--"
"You'd repent it, Jemmy. You're letting your love for me carry you
too far."
"What put it into your head that I'd do this for love of _you_?"
"For Tristram, then."
"Damn Tristram! That youngster strikes me as causing a fuss quite
out of proportion to his intrinsic worth."
"Well, but--"
"My dear Jack, I have reasons for wishing Tristram back. You needn't
ask what they are, because I shan't tell you; but they're at least
as intelligible as all the reasons you can find in that volume."
He caught it out of his friend's hand, and read: "_June 12th.--T.
to-day refused his biscuit and milk at six in the morning, but took
it an hour later. Peevish all night; in part (I think) because not
yet recovered of his weaning, and also because his teeth (second pair
on lower jaw) are troubling him. Query: If the biscuit should be
boiled in the milk, or milk merely poured over the biscuit_--" Here
he glanced up, and seeing the anguish on the hunchback's face, handed
back the book.
"I beg your pardon, Jack. But get your hat and come along."
"You forget, Jemmy. We gave our word, you know."
Captain Runacles stared.
"Trouble has unhinged your wits, my friend. Did you seriously
imagine I intended to disclose to his Majesty the proposal we heard
last night?"
"What, then?"
"My notion was that we should go and offer him our swords and our
services in ransom for Tristram.
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