Chapter 2 Fellow Travellers

           Nomoreofyesterday’showlingoveryonderto-day,Sir;isthere?’

           ‘Ihaveheardnone.’

           ‘Thenyoumaybesurethereisnone.Whenthesepeoplehowl,theyhowltobeheard.’

           ‘Mostpeopledo,Isuppose.’

           ‘Ah!butthesepeoplearealwayshowling.Neverhappyotherwise.’

           ‘DoyoumeantheMarseillespeople?’

           ‘ImeantheFrenchpeople.They’realwaysatit.AstoMarseilles,weknowwhatMarseillesis.Itsentthemostinsurrectionarytuneintotheworldthatwasevercomposed.Itcouldn’texistwithoutallongingandmarshongingtosomethingorother—victoryordeath,orblazes,orsomething.’

           Thespeaker,withawhimsicalgoodhumouruponhimallthetime,lookedovertheparapet-wallwiththegreatestdisparagementofMarseilles;andtakingupadeterminedpositionbyputtinghishandsinhispocketsandrattlinghismoneyatit,apostrophiseditwithashortlaugh.

           ‘Allongandmarshong,indeed.Itwouldbemorecreditabletoyou,Ithink,toletotherpeopleallongandmarshongabouttheirlawfulbusiness,insteadofshutting‘emupinquarantine!’

           ‘Tiresomeenough,’saidtheother.‘Butweshallbeoutto-day.’

           ‘Outto-day!’repeatedthefirst.‘It’salmostanaggravationoftheenormity,thatweshallbeoutto-day.Out!Whathaveweeverbeeninfor?’

           ‘Fornoverystrongreason,Imustsay.ButaswecomefromtheEast,andastheEastisthecountryoftheplague—’

           ‘Theplague!’repeatedtheother.‘That’smygrievance.Ihavehadtheplaguecontinually,eversinceIhavebeenhere.