[The Blue Pavilions by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch]@TWC D-Link book
The Blue Pavilions

CHAPTER IX
10/28

On the barge's deck by the tiller an immensely fat boatman leant and smoked his pipe, which he withdrew placidly from his lips as Captain Salt gave the password to the man with the lantern and handed over the smoking horses.
"_Modena!_" The fat man spat, stood upright and prepared for business as the passengers stumbled on board.

Not a word more was spoken until Tristram found himself in a long, low cabin divided into two parts by a deal partition.

By the light of a swinging lamp he saw that a bench ran along the after-compartment, and asked if he might stretch himself out to sleep.
"By all means," said his father.

"I was going to propose it myself.
We shall travel without halting till morning." "Then 'good night.'" "You appear in a hurry." "It seems to me that it's my turn." The barge was hardly in motion before Tristram began to snore.
Nor did he awake till the sun was up and shining in through the little opening by the stern, through which he could see the legs of the fat steersman on deck.

While he rubbed his eyes his father appeared at the cabin door with a bundle in one hand and a big market-basket in the other.
"You sleep late, my son.


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