Even you are not foolish enough to suppose
that theatres and all the live things you can by thereabouts mean Life.
that theatres and all the live things you can by thereabouts mean Life.
Kipling - Poems
It's slow
bleeding of power. "
"It brings in the very desirable dollars," said Dick, his hands in his
pockets.
Torpenhow watched him with large contempt. "Why, I thought it was a
man! " said he. "It's a child. "
"No, it isn't," said Dick, wheeling quickly. "You've no notion what the
certainty of cash means to a man who has always wanted it badly. Nothing
will pay me for some of my life's joys; on that Chinese pig-boat, for
instance, when we ate bread and jam for every meal, because Ho-Wang
wouldn't allow us anything better, and it all tasted of pig,--Chinese
pig. I've worked for this, I've sweated and I've starved for this, line
on line and month after month. And now I've got it I am going to make
the most of it while it lasts. Let them pay--they've no knowledge. "
"What does Your Majesty please to want? You can't smoke more than you
do; you won't drink; you're a gross feeder; and you dress in the dark,
by the look of you. You wouldn't keep a horse the other day when I
suggested, because, you said, it might fall lame, and whenever you cross
the street you take a hansom.
Even you are not foolish enough to suppose
that theatres and all the live things you can by thereabouts mean Life.
What earthly need have you for money? "
"It's there, bless its golden heart," said Dick. "It's there all the
time. Providence has sent me nuts while I have teeth to crack 'em with.
I haven't yet found the nut I wish to crack, but I'm keeping my teeth
filed. Perhaps some day you and I will go for a walk round the wide
earth. "
"With no work to do, nobody to worry us, and nobody to compete with? You
would be unfit to speak to in a week. Besides, I shouldn't go. I don't
care to profit by the price of a man's soul,--for that's what it would
mean. Dick, it's no use arguing. You're a fool. "
"Don't see it. When I was on that Chinese pig-boat, our captain got
credit for saving about twenty-five thousand very seasick little pigs,
when our old tramp of a steamer fell foul of a timber-junk. Now, taking
those pigs as a parallel----"
"Oh, confound your parallels!
bleeding of power. "
"It brings in the very desirable dollars," said Dick, his hands in his
pockets.
Torpenhow watched him with large contempt. "Why, I thought it was a
man! " said he. "It's a child. "
"No, it isn't," said Dick, wheeling quickly. "You've no notion what the
certainty of cash means to a man who has always wanted it badly. Nothing
will pay me for some of my life's joys; on that Chinese pig-boat, for
instance, when we ate bread and jam for every meal, because Ho-Wang
wouldn't allow us anything better, and it all tasted of pig,--Chinese
pig. I've worked for this, I've sweated and I've starved for this, line
on line and month after month. And now I've got it I am going to make
the most of it while it lasts. Let them pay--they've no knowledge. "
"What does Your Majesty please to want? You can't smoke more than you
do; you won't drink; you're a gross feeder; and you dress in the dark,
by the look of you. You wouldn't keep a horse the other day when I
suggested, because, you said, it might fall lame, and whenever you cross
the street you take a hansom.
Even you are not foolish enough to suppose
that theatres and all the live things you can by thereabouts mean Life.
What earthly need have you for money? "
"It's there, bless its golden heart," said Dick. "It's there all the
time. Providence has sent me nuts while I have teeth to crack 'em with.
I haven't yet found the nut I wish to crack, but I'm keeping my teeth
filed. Perhaps some day you and I will go for a walk round the wide
earth. "
"With no work to do, nobody to worry us, and nobody to compete with? You
would be unfit to speak to in a week. Besides, I shouldn't go. I don't
care to profit by the price of a man's soul,--for that's what it would
mean. Dick, it's no use arguing. You're a fool. "
"Don't see it. When I was on that Chinese pig-boat, our captain got
credit for saving about twenty-five thousand very seasick little pigs,
when our old tramp of a steamer fell foul of a timber-junk. Now, taking
those pigs as a parallel----"
"Oh, confound your parallels!
