"
"No, you would not; they are not at all becoming to you. Oh, do look at
poor Mr. Bangs!"
The detective's sleeves were turned back, thanks to Mrs. Carmichael,
but, as he sat at breakfast, the voluminous coat sagged over his
shoulder, and down came the eclipsing sleeve over his coffee cup. When
he righted matters with his left hand, the coat slewed round to the
other side, knocked his fork out of his hand, and fell with violence on
his omelet. The Captain looked at him, and bawled: "I say, mate, you've
got to have a reef took in your back topsel. You don't mind a bit of
reef tackle in the back of your coat, do you, John?" The Squire did not
object; so Miss Carmichael was despatched to the sewing room for two
large pins, and she and the Captain between them pinched up the back of
the coat longitudinally to the proper distance, and pinned the detective
up a little more than was necessary.
"Whey," asked he of his nautical ally, "em I consistent es a cherecter
in bowth phases of my berrowed cowt?"
"I know," chuckled the Captain; "'cause then you had too much slack on
your pins, and now you've got too much pins in your slack, haw! haw!"
"Try egain.
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