Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

Author:Peter Carey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: Romance, classics, Contemporary, Historical, Modern
ISBN: 9780307787132
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 1988-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

58

Reputation

It was already a scandal. It was known about by Mr Smith and Mr Borrodaile, by Mr Carraway, Mrs Menzies, Mr and Mrs Johnston. The stewards, of course, all knew—for they were not only judges but also conduits and they wound their way from class to class and even down into the rivet-studded steel innards of the ship, not quite as far as young Master Smiggins (whose task it was to ready the live-stock for the approaching storm). He knew a lady had “lost her reputation” but he had this from Long-nosed Clemence, the apprentice engineer. He did not know it was “his” lady for whom he had planned to work.

“She gone and bleeding done it now. She lost it now,” said Clemence who was frightened by the animals.

“What?” asked Master Smiggins.

“Er reputation. I told you, didn’ I? Compreyvous?”

“Course I bloody compreyvous. I got a sister, ain’t? Now nick off. I got me animals and the sea’s coming up.”

“Coming up your back passage more like,” said Clemence, but stepped back, ready to run.

Master Smiggins kicked the llama doe in the backside and forced it into its crush. He strapped the crush shut.

“There,” he said, “all tucked in now. Can’t roll out of bed no matter what.” He went to deal with the buck. “Now, don’t you fuss,” he said. He looked around. Clemence had gone. “Lost her reputation,” he said. He had a stick to prod the buck with.

“Course,” he said. “Course I bloody compreyvous.”

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