No one was looking at
the time, and as it went straight into my pocket, no one missed it.
Then, leaving Stephen and the young lady to admire this Cypripedium--
or each other--in the enclosure, we three elders returned to the house
to discuss matters.
"John and Mrs. Eversley," I said, "by Heaven's mercy you are reunited
after a terrible separation of over twenty years. But what is to be
done now? The god, it is true, is dead, and therefore the passage of
the forest will be easy. But beyond it is the water which we have no
means of crossing and beyond the water that old wizard, the Motombo,
sits in the mouth of his cave watching like a spider in its web. And
beyond the Motombo and his cave are Komba, the new Kalubi and his
tribe of cannibals----"
"Cannibals!" interrupted Mrs. Eversley, "I never knew that they were
cannibals. Indeed, I know little about the Pongo, whom I scarcely ever
see."
"Then, madam, you must take my word for it that they are; also, as I
believe, that they have every expectation of eating /us/.
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