Tall castles, glorious battlefields
Graced this in ages past,
But now its mighty power that yields
5. To work my busy last.
"Is that your brother Armine's own?" asked Sir James, surprised.
"O yes," said Janet with impressive carelessness, "all my brothers
have a facility in stringing rhymes."
"Not Bobus," said Elvira.
"He does not think it worth while," said Janet, again absorbing
herself in her paper, while the public united in guessing the
acrostic; and the only objection was raised by the exact General, who
would not allow that the "Marseillaise" was sung at the mouth of the
Rhone, and defended Ino's sobriety.
Barbara and Sydney lived upon those acrostics in their travelling
bags till they reached Folkestone, and had grown intimate over them.
Sir James looked after the luggage, putting gently aside Janet's
strong-minded attempt to watch over it, and she only retained her own
leathern travelling case, where she carried her personals, and which,
heavy as it was, she never let out of her immediate charge.
They all sat on deck, for there was a fine smooth summer sea, and no
one was deranged except the two maids, whom every one knew to be
always disabled on a voyage.
Janet had not long been seated, and was only just getting immersed in
her Contemporary, when she received a greeting which gratified her.
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