“‘What’s the upset price of it, I wonder?’ sais Di, ‘the horses will make ‘their election sure;’ they are at the ‘head of the pole, they are returned and they have left no trace behind.’ I wish they had taken the rain with them also.’
“‘It’s a pity you wouldn’t rein your tongue in also,’ said the fractious uncle.
“‘Well, I will, Nunky, if you will restrain your choler. De Courcy, the horses are off at a ‘smashing pace;’ G soft, it’s all dickey with us now, ain’t it? But that milk-sop, Russel, is making a noise in his boots, as if he was ‘churning butter.’ Well, I never enjoyed anything so much as this in my life; I do wish the Mudges had been here, it is the only thing wanting to make this pic-nic perfect. What do you say, Target?’
“But Target don’t answer, he only mutters between his teeth something that sounds like, ‘what a devil that girl is!’ Nobody minds teasing now; their tempers are subdued, and they are dull, weary, and silent—dissatisfied with themselves, with each other, and the day of pleasure.
“How could it be otherwise? It is a thing they didn’t understand, and had no taste for. They took a deal of trouble to get away from the main road as far as possible; they never penetrated farther into the forest than to obtain a shade, and there eat an uncomfortable cold dinner, sitting on the ground, had an ill-assorted party, provided no amusements, were thoroughly bored, and drenched to the skin—and this some people call a day in the bush.
“There is an old proverb, that has a hidden meaning in it, that is applicable to this sort of thing—‘As a man calleth in the woods, so it shall be answered to him.’”
[CHAPTER XVI.]
THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD.
We made another attempt at walking on the deck—the moon was trying to struggle through the fog, which was now of a bright copper colour.
“Doctor,” said I, “have you ever seen a yellow fog before?”
“Yes,” he said, “I have seen a white, black, red, and yellow fog,” and went off into a disquisition about optics, mediums, reflections, refractions, and all sorts of scientific terms.