Bunyip Land: A Story of Adventure in New Guinea

“Now, Master Joseph, do adone now, do. I’m sure your poor dear eyes’ll go afore you’re forty, and think of that!”
“Bother!”
“What say, my dear?”
“Don’t bother.”
“You’re always running your finger over that map thing, my dear. I can’t abear to see it.”
Nurse Brown looked over the top of her spectacles at me and shook her head, while I bent lower over the map.
Then the old lady sighed, and went on making cottage windows all over my worsted stockings, giving vent to comments all the time, for the old lady had been servant to my grandmother, and had followed her young mistress when she married, nursing me when I was born, and treating me as a baby ever since. In fact she had grown into an institution at home, moving when we moved, and doing pretty well as she liked in what she called “our house.”
“Bang!”
“Bless the boy! don’t bang the table like that,” she cried. “How you made me jump!”
“It’s of no use talking, nurse,” I cried; “I mean to go.”
“Go!” she said. “Go where?”