"BOM-BOM." 313 



stood about five feet four, but if he had been straightened 

 out would have been much taller ; in his neck was a 

 knot or twist of some kind that forced him to carry his 

 head very much on one side, while to raise his eyes so 

 as to look you straight in the face was evidently a great 

 effort. His skin was the colour of parchment, and 

 shrivelled as much as if that material had been soaked 

 in water and exposed to a tropical sun to dry. But 

 with all these deformities, he was well-read, intelligent, 

 and evidently possessed of considerable knowledge of 

 the world. If his head had been set on uprightly and 

 it was a fine head, as heads go he would not by 

 any means have been a bad specimen of the human 

 family. 



The first night he and Charlie met, the stranger 

 appeared distrait, deep in thought, and looked as if he 

 were pondering over the past, and endeavouring to 

 recall some incident of it. The second evening that they 

 came together, Charlie was in unusuallly good spirits, 

 told his raciest stories with great gusto, and boasted of 

 his past exploits with much force. But whenever he 

 narrated anything wonderful, anything about the world 

 he knew, and the grand folk in it, the stranger would 

 twist his head upwards, fix his expressionless eyes upon 

 him, and exclaim emphatically, " Bom-bom!" 



For a length of time this extraordinary conduct on 

 the part of the unknown was borne most patiently by 

 him who had become the life and soul of the party; but 

 when " bom-bom" became to be inevitably uttered every 

 time he spoke, Charlie thought it was time to terminate 

 such uncourteous, nay, rude conduct. 



" What do you mean, sir, by interrupting me?" 



" Bom-bom ! " 



