Genre Fairy Tale. Page - 9
them, and put a bit of butter on top,and put the dishes into a pan and set in the oven till the egg-whitesare a little brown.
Omelette
Making an omelette seems rather a difficult thing for a little girl,but Margaret made hers in a very easy way. Her rule said:
Break four eggs separately. Beat the whites till they are stiff,and then wash and wipe dry the egg-beater, and beat the yolks tillthey foam, and then put in half a teaspoonful of salt. Pour theyolks over the whites, and mix gently with a large spoon. Have acake-griddle hot, with a piece of butter melted on it and spreadover the whole surface; pour the eggs on and let them cook fora moment. The take a cake-turner and slip under an edge, and lookto see if the middle is getting brown, because the color comes therefirst. When it is a nice even color, slip the turner well under,and turn the omelette half over, covering one part with the other,and then slip the whole off on a hot platter. Bridget had to showMargaret how to
e this affair took place, but as his connections are so powerful, I suppose he will be received as if nothing had happened. There are plenty of others as bad as he is."
"It's a scandalous thing," Francis Hammond said indignantly, "that, just because they have got powerful connections, men should be allowed to do, almost with impunity, things for which an ordinary man would be hung. There ought to be one law for the rich as well as the poor."
"So there is as far as the state is concerned," his companion replied. "A noble who plots against the state is as certain of a place in the lowest dungeons as a fisherman who has done the same; but in other respects there is naturally some difference."
"Why naturally?" Francis retorted. "You belong to a powerful family, Giustiniani, and my father is only a trader, but I don't see that naturally you have any more right to get me stabbed in the back, than I have to get you put out of the way."
"Naturally perhaps not," Matteo laughed; "but you see
ing to act over again the whole scene of the deer-hunt, but Fru, that is to say, Lady Astrida, was too busy to listen, and broke in with, "Have they brought home the haunch?"
"Yes, Walter is bringing it. I had a long arrow--"
A stout forester was at this instant seen bringing in the venison, and Dame Astrida hastened to meet it, and gave directions, little Richard following her all the way, and talking as eagerly as if she was attending to him, showing how he shot, how Osmond shot, how the deer bounded, and how it fell, and then counting the branches of its antlers, always ending with, "This is something to tell my father. Do you think he will come soon?"
In the meantime two men entered the hall, one about fifty, the other, one or two-and-twenty, both in hunting dresses of plain leather, crossed by broad embroidered belts, supporting a knife, and a bugle- horn. The elder was broad-shouldered, sun-burnt, ruddy, and rather stern-looking; the younger, who was also the taller, was slightly ma
we sailed thence with a favourable gale, and some mists arising, totally impeded the English frigates from discovering our fleet. We steered our course as near as we could to the coast of France, for fear of the enemy. As we sailed along, we met a vessel of Ostend, who complained to our admiral, that a French privateer had robbed him that very morning; whereupon we endeavoured to pursue the said pirate; but our labour was in vain, not being able to overtake him.
Our fleet, as we sailed, caused no small fears and alarms to the inhabitants of the coasts of France, these judging us to be English, and that we sought some convenient place for landing. To allay their fright, we hung out our colours; but they would not trust us. After this we came to an anchor in the bay of Conquet in Brittany, near Ushant, there to take in water. Having stored ourselves with fresh provisions here, we prosecuted our voyage, designing to pass by the Ras of Fontenau, and not expose ourselves to the Sorlingues, fearing the English that were cruising thereabouts. The river Ras is of a current very strong and rapid, which, rolling over many rocks, disgorges itself into the sea, on the coast of France, in 48 deg. 10 min. latitude; so that this passage is very dangerous, all the rocks, as yet, being not thoroughly known.
Here I shall mention the ceremony, which, at this passage, and some other places, is used by the mariners, and by them called baptism, though it may seem little to our purpose. The master's mate clothed himself with a ridiculous sort of garment, that reached to his feet, and on his head he put a suitable cap, made very burlesque; in his right hand he had a naked wooden sword, and in his left
ra, surveying through his spy-glass a stranger of suspicious appearance making sail towards him. On his firing a gun ahead of her to bring her to, she ran up a flag, which he instantly recognized as the flag from the mast in the back-garden at home.
[Illustration: "Married the Chief's daughter"]
Inferring from this, that his father had put to sea to seek his long-lost son, the captain sent his own boat on board the stranger, to inquire if this was so, and if so, whether his father's intentions were strictly honourable. The boat came back with a present of greens and fresh meat, and reported that the stranger was The Family of twelve hundred tons, and had not only the captain's father on board, but also his mother, with the majority of his aunts and uncles, and all his cousins. It was further reported to Boldheart that the whole of these relations had expressed themselves in a becoming manner, and were anxious to embrace him and thank him for the glorious credit he had done them. Boldheart at onc
licia and the angelic baby.
"What is the matter, Papa?"
"I am dreadfully poor, my child."
"Have you no money at all, Papa?"
[Illustration: "What is the matter, Papa?"]
"None my child."
"Is there no way left of getting any, Papa?"
"No way," said the King. "I have tried very hard, and I have tried all ways."
When she heard those last words, the Princess Alicia began to put her hand into the pocket where she kept the magic fish-bone.
"Papa," said she, "when we have tried very hard, and tried all ways, we must have done our very very best?"
"No doubt, Alicia."
"When we have done our very very best, Papa, and that is not enough, then I think the right time must have come for asking help of others." This was the very secret connected with the magic fish-bone, which she had found out for herself from the good fairy Grandmarina's words, and which she had so often whispered to her beautiful and fashionable friend the Duchess.
So she to
Mermaid, the professor, theboys, Washington and Andy, sailed until they came to the greatshaft leading downward. Then the ship rose in the air anddescended through clouds of vapor. After many perils theyreached the center of the earth, where they found a strange raceof beings.
One day, to their horror, an earthquake dosed the shaft by whichthey had come to the center of the earth. The boys were indespair of ever getting to the surface again, but the professorhad been prepared for this emergency, and he had built a strongcylinder, into which all the travelers placed themselves. Thenit was projected into a powerful upward shooting column of water,which Professor Henderson hoped would take them to the surface ofthe earth. Nor was he mistaken. They had a terrible journey,but came safely out of it.
They opened the cylinder, to find themselves floating on the sea,and they were rescued by a passing vessel. Of course, they hadabandoned the Mermaid, leaving the craft in the center of thee
ere mounted sculls and oars, footballs and baseballs. The long and proud record of the university was there to be read. All her famous athletes were pictured there, and every one who had fought for his college. Ken realized that here for the first time he was in the atmosphere of college spirit for which the university was famed. What would he not have given for a permanent place in that gallery! But it was too late. He had humiliated the captain of the baseball team. Ken sought out the picture of the last season's varsity. What a stocky lot of young chaps, all consciously proud of the big letter on their shirts! Dale, the captain and pitcher, was in the centre of the group. Ken knew his record, and it was a splendid one. Ken took another look at Dale, another at the famous trainer, Murray, and the professional coach, Arthurs--men under whom it had been his dream to play--and then he left the room, broken-hearted.
When the Christmas recess was over he went back to his lectures resigned to the thought t
lulled Mr. Cobb's never active mind into completeoblivion as to his promise of keeping an eye onRebecca.
Suddenly he heard a small voice above the rattleand rumble of the wheels and the creaking of theharness. At first he thought it was a cricket, a treetoad, or a bird, but having determined the directionfrom which it came, he turned his head over hisshoulder and saw a small shape hanging as far outof the window as safety would allow. A long blackbraid of hair swung with the motion of the coach;the child held her hat in one hand and with theother made ineffectual attempts to stab the driverwith her microscopic sunshade.
"Please let me speak!" she called.
Mr. Cobb drew up the horses obediently.
"Does it cost any more to ride up there withyou?" she asked. "It's so slippery and shiny downhere, and the stage is so much too big for me, thatI rattle round in it till I'm 'most black and blue.And the windows are so small I can only see piecesof things, and I've 'most broken my neck stretc
d been as good as Gold,
She Promised in the Afternoon
To buy him an _Immense BALLOON_.
And
[Illustration]
so she did; but when it came,
It got into the candle flame,
And being of a dangerous sort
Exploded
[Illustration]
with a loud report!
The Lights went out! The Windows broke!
The Room was filled with reeking smoke.
And in the darkness shrieks and yells
Were mingled with Electric Bells,
And falling masonry and groans,
And crunching, as of broken bones,
And dreadful shrieks, when, worst of all,
The House itself began to fall!
It tottered, shuddering to and fro,
Then crashed into the street below--
Which happened to be Savile Row.
- * *
When Help arrived, among the Dead
[Illustration]
Were
Cousin Mary,
[Illustration]
Little Fred,
[Illustration]
The Footmen
[Illustration]
(both of them),
[Illustration]
The Gro