"
"I can't hear a word you say;" Van Diemen tried to pitch his voice higher
than the wind. "Did you say a boat? But where?"
Crickledon the carpenter made signal to Herbert. They stepped rapidly up
the field.
"Women feels their weakness in times like these, my dear," Mrs.
Crickledon said to Annette. "What with our clothes and our cowardice it
do seem we're not the equals of men when winds is high."
Annette expressed the hope to her that she had not lost much property.
Mrs. Crickledon said she was glad to let her know she was insured in an
Accident Company. "But," said she, "I do grieve for that poor man Tinman,
if alive he be, and comes ashore to find his property wrecked by water.
Bless ye! he wouldn't insure against anything less common than fire; and
my house and Crickledon's shop are floating timbers by this time; and
Marine Parade and Belle Vue are safe to go. And it'll be a pretty welcome
for him, poor man, from his investments."
A cry at a tremendous blow of a wave on the doomed house rose from the
field.
Pages:
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556