Joseph, a Dancing Bear

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Ill WHICH TELLS OF A FETE AND A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE In the days following my last outing I was distinctly low and miserable. Henri and Charles watched me like ill-tempered cats, and appeared to consider that my desire for escape had been caused by gross overfeeding. The craving for whisky or similar fluids, to which I have alluded with real apprehension and regret, was very strong within me during those painful days, but its gratification appeared a wild, vain dream. But I am about to tell you how something of the sort did come my way, and how it betrayed me into one of the few indiscretions of a singularly beautiful and blameless life. We were trudging along a lane in our usual way, when I saw a young male human coming towards us. He was a tall, strong-looking young man with queer, dark red hair, and I was rather attracted by his eyeswhen he came close. They were dark grey, and they always looked as though he was laughing, although his face might be grave enough. It was grave enough then. I was pretty sick of everything, but I looked at him with a certain dull interest. He did not notice us until we were quite near, but when he did look up he started, and the worried look left his face. He went past very slowly, and then in a moment he turned and overtook us. And where might ye be bound for this fine mornin', me friends ? he asked. He had a very pleasant soft accent, quite unlike the horrid English twang, and a knack of rolling his r's that was almost French. I found afterwards that he was what is called an Irishman?and if he was a fair specimen, they must be quite an exciting race. We 'ave 'eard zat zare ees a poleetical fete zis afternoon in ze big park over yonder, monsieur, Henri answered civilly. We are going zare to see if zey 'ave ze good taste to w...