Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/413

 that Brown's full equal share in that matter still stood good. Another instant and Bullings was in my mind, and I wondered that he had not already met me here, or at any rate sent a special message, with a contract for the sale of the shares at the premium assured to me. Had the rash fellow still held them on? or was he merely negligent and ungrateful, and the profit all mine none the less? Countless other subjects seemed to course through my mind with the rapidity of electro-light speed itself, and at last I settled into the Green-Brown syndicate, which was to make all our fortunes out of the plunder of the great nebula in Argo, a satisfaction tempered, however, by the recollection that the greatly reduced brokerage on the job was to be further diminished by Brown's half share. I thought with pride and dignity of explaining all this welcome fortune-making to my wife, when all this current and bustle of thought was at once arrested by her voice a second time falling upon my ears, and this time quite distinctly as to the utterance.

"Why, my dear, what has come over you? You have been snoring, snorting, and grunting, in that easy-chair of yours, for the best part of the last half-hour, and little Maggie has just had to shake you three times over ere you could be wakened. What's the good of you and old Skipper White indulging in ideal trips over this whole mighty world, when even a jaunt to Brighton knocks you up in this way! Here we all are, with tea ready poured out, and only waiting your saying grace."

In another few seconds I had said grace, and in a like further short interval I had buried my teeth in a round of my favourite hot toast, buttered on both sides,