The absence of fruit in this city is, I suppose, the reason why our compliments are like that.

I believe poets say "sweet as a rose"-- _we_ say "sweet as an orange." May I be allowed unreservedly to apologise ?' 'Oh, that's all right,' said Philip awkwardly.
'And to ask whether you _are_ the Deliverer ?' 'I hope so,' said Philip modestly.
'Of course he is,' said the parrot, putting its head out from the front of Philip's jacket; 'and he has done six deeds out of the seven already.' 'It is time that deeds were done here,' said the captain.

'I'll make a light and get you some supper.

I'm in hiding here; but the walls are thick and all the shutters are shut.' He bolted a door and opened the slide of a dark lantern.
'Some of us have taken refuge in the old prison,' he said; 'it's never used, you know, so her spies don't infest it as they do every other part of the city.' 'Whose spies ?' 'The Destroyer's,' said the captain, getting bread and milk out of a cupboard; 'at least, if you're the Deliverer she must be that.

But she says she's the Deliverer.' He lighted candles and set them on the table as Lucy asked eagerly: 'What Destroyer?
Is it a horrid woman in a motor veil ?' 'You've guessed it,' said the captain gloomily.
'It's that Pretenderette,' said Philip.