One of those insects which infest ancient church edifices has
been hovering about Captain Keeler's mouth. It has been drawn in. It has
disappeared. Such are we, hovering on the vortex of eternity. How calm
and undisturbed the old captain's face! how utterly unconscious of the
tragedy just enacted! So eternity swallows us and leaves no trace behind,
and no ripple marks its surface. How infer--how more than odd the old
captain looks, anyway! I say, she ought to have touched up his eyebrows a
little, you know, while she was at the nefarious business, Miss
Hungerford."
"Yes," I answered, listening deliberately.
"Do you suppose that the time will ever come when she to whom I once gave
the love of my young heart, and all that sort of thing, you know, will
take me in hand, and dye my hair, and rig me up, and make such an
infernal-looking old guy of me?"
"I don't see how you can escape," I said. "But you won't care so much,
then."
"No, that's true." Mr. Rollin sighed deeply "I shall be old, then;--
'When I am old, I shall not care
To deck with flowers my faded hair.'"
The idea of Mr. Rollin decking his hair with flowers was a specially
entertaining one to me.
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