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Collins, Wilkie, 1824-1889

"No Name"

If
the misunderstanding were permitted to proceed to extremities, there was
a chance that the invitation for that evening to Sea-view Cottage might
be put off. Now, as ever, equal to the occasion, Captain Wragge called
his useful information once more to the rescue. Under the learned
auspices of Joyce, he plunged, for the third time, into the ocean of
science, and brought up another pearl. He was still haranguing (on
Pneumatics this time), still improving Mrs. Lecount's mind with his
politest perseverance and his smoothest flow of language--when the
walking party stopped at Noel Vanstone's door.
"Bless my soul, here we are at your house, sir!" said the captain,
interrupting himself in the middle of one of his graphic sentences. "I
won't keep you standing a moment. Not a word of apology, Mrs. Lecount,
I beg and pray! I will put that curious point in Pneumatics more clearly
before you on a future occasion. In the meantime I need only repeat that
you can perform the experiment I have just mentioned to your own entire
satisfaction with a bladder, an exhausted receiver, and a square box. At
seven o'clock this evening, sir--at seven o'clock, Mrs. Lecount.


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