Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/34

 “Singular words for one of your cloth, sir,” I replied with a slight tinge of sarcasm.

“Cloth! Well you are right. I am a Reverend, boys, but the title is about all there is left of it. I have enjoyed many charges and lost them all, and that which I have now  is not a charge! Ha! ha! It is only an existence. Being deprived of a charge does not deprive me of the right to  live. Briefly, I am a reformed parson. I am sponging on the world.”

He removed his hat and wiped his perspiring brow, gazing off upon the vast sea of green below us with an expression of admiration which told me that his thoughts were not all as trivial as he seemed to wish us to believe.

“Glorious—ain’t it?” he exclaimed. “I had often read of it and I was bound to see it. Well, here I am at Angkor at last, and now the Lord knows where I shall drift to  next.”

“What part of the States are you from?” I ventured.

“New York, last; lived ten years in Chicago; besides that have trotted about from Maine to Texas. As you Yankees say, I kinder guess I’ve seen about all your country  has to show.”

“When did you reach Angkor?”

“Half an hour ago.”

“Surely you did not come up the river?”

“No, I came through from Siamrap with a little party of natives. Came to Siamrap from Bangkok, to Bangkok from Calcutta. I am travelling because I like to travel. If I see anything odd I jot it down. I’ve written one book and may write another. Can’t promise though, for I’m too lazy, and that’s the truth. Gentlemen, have either of you got anything to smoke? Unfortunately, I left my pipe with my traps below.”

I passed him my cheroot case and Maurice supplied the match. As soon as the light was taken he began rattling on in the same strain.

“Let me see, haven’t I heard of you before, Mr. De Veber? Strikes me I have. You are consul somewhere—let me see, Macao, ain’t it? No, Panompin?”

“Panompin is the spot,” said Maurice, quietly.

“Ah, yes! Knew I’d seen your name mentioned in some register or another. Dull hole that. I was there last year. Was introduced to that royal beggar, King Norodom. Spent