"It's the best groomed country I've seen," said Ronald, with a smile, and, indeed, though the epithet was odd, it was very appropriate, for after all the barbaric colouring they had seen at Colombo--the arid rocks of Malta and Gibraltar, and the sandy shore of Port Said, this wonderfully, vividly green land, with fields and well-kept hedges cultivated down to the water's edge, looked, as the Australian said, "well groomed."
They anchored for about two hours at Plymouth, but there was no time to go on shore, so they gazed longingly at the quaint town so famous in English History. The Hoe--the bowling green where Sir Francis Drake played bowls when the Armada was descried "stretching out like a crescent,"--and Mount Edgecumbe, which the commander of the great fleet designed for his residence when England was conquered. Ronald stood silent, looking at all this beauty, when a remark of Pat's made him laugh.
"I say," said Pat, mindful of Colombo and Aden, to Chester, who was quite inflated with patriotic pride, "will the people here come off, and dive for pennies?"
Chester glared at him viciously, and then stalked away too indignant to speak, while all around roared at the queerness of the remark.
"Well I thought they might," explained Pat to his grinning auditors; "the natives did it at all the other places."
"There are no natives here confound you!" said Chester, who had returned.
"Oh, indade!" replied Pat innocently, "this England's inhabited by foreigners."
After this Chester concluded to leave Pat alone.
It was night when they sailed up the Channel, and they could see in the distance the twinkling lights of Folkestone, Dover, Margate, and all the other well-known places, and as it was the last night on board, there was a general jubilation in the smoking-room after the ladies had retired. Songs were sung, toasts were proposed, speeches were made, and when the electric light was put out, candles were produced, and the concert kept up far into the night, or rather morning, One gentleman said he could play musical glasses, and broke fifteen tumblers in demonstrating his ability to do so--then they had more liquor, sang "God save the Queen," and went off to bed one by one, and everything was quiet.
And what a curious appearance the deck presented next morning--everyone in his best--no more flannel suits and straw hats, but accurate frock coats and tall hats, while the ladies came out in dresses of the newest fashions. Knots of people were talking together--giving addresses, making appointments, and promising to write, until it was queer to hear the jargon like this:--