“Do it?” retorted Coralie. “She’d be no more likely to do it than to go up a chimney, as the sweeps do. I told papa so. He brought me this news when he came home to dinner. And he might just as well have stayed away, for all he ate.”
Coralie paused to look at her game. I said nothing.
“He could only drink. It was as if he had a fierce thirst upon him. When the sweets came on, he left the table and shut himself in his little library. I sent Ozias to ask if he would have a cup of tea or coffee made; papa swore at poor Ozias, and locked the door upon him. When Verena does appear I’d not say but he’ll beat her.”
“No, no: not that.”
“But, I tell you he is off his head. He is still shut up: and nobody dare go near him when he gets into a fit of temper. It is so silly of papa! Verena is all right. But this disobedience, you see, is something new to him.”
“You can’t move that bishop. It leaves your king in check.”
“So it does. The worst item of news remains behind,” added Coralie. “And that is that Pym does not sail with the ship.”
“I should not think he would now. Captain Tanerton would not take him.”
“Papa told me Captain Tanerton had caused him to be superseded. Was Pym very much the worse for what he took, Johnny? Was he very insolent? You must have seen it all?”
“He had taken quite enough. And he was about as insolent as a man can be.”