Therefore I packed it between
our shirts," said the voice of Imam Din.
"Does he know as much English as that?" cried the Infant, who had
forgotten his East.
We all admired the cotton for Adam's sake, and, indeed, it was
very long and glossy.
"It's--it's only an experiment," he said. "We're such awful
paupers we can't even pay for a mailcart in my District. We use a
biscuit-box on two bicycle wheels. I only got the money for
that"--he patted the stuff--"by a pure fluke."
"How much did it cost?" asked Strickland.
"With seed and machinery--about two hundred pounds. I had the
labour done by cannibals."
"That sounds promising." Stalky reached for a fresh cigarette.
"No, thank you," said Agnes. "I've been at Weston-super-Mare a
little too long for cannibals. I'll go to the music-room and try
over next Sunday's hymns."
She lifted the boy's hand lightly to her lips, and tripped across
the acres of glimmering floor to the music-room that had been the
Infant's ancestors' banqueting hall.
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