Were some of the sounds shouted into his ears—not once, but a score of times.
“Queen’s hotel, sir?”
“Lord Admiral, sir?”
“Carriage, sir? How many, sir? Where to, sir?”
“How can I tell when I can’t hear myself think, for your noise? Dick, answer all these men, and see to the baggage being taken to the station. Jacob hasn’t knowledge enough—he would be sure to get it lost; though for that matter, I wish he would lose it—it would be an immense relief to me! I shall take Anna and Drusilla over to that restaurant, to get them out of this din, and to give them a cup of tea.”
“All right, uncle. Pray go and make yourself and the ladies comfortable,” said Dick, good-humoredly.
“And let me see,” said the General, examining his watch. “It is now nine o’clock. The—hem—‘parliamentary’ starts at ten. We have but an hour to wait. It will not be worth while to go to a hotel. I think it will be best for us to stop over there until it is time for us to go to the station. See to getting our tickets, Dick, will you? And have a carriage at the door there in time.”
“All right, uncle. Make yourself easy.”
“Come along, young women! Pina! give me that child. You look as if you were ready to drop under his weight.”
“A sleeping baby is twice as heavy as a waking one, sir,” said the girl, as she placed the child in the old man’s arms.