The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Temptation of Samuel Burge, by W.W. Jacobs

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Title: The Temptation of Samuel Burge
Captains All, Book 8.

Author: W.W. Jacobs

Release Date: February 20, 2004 [EBook #11188]

Language: English

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TEMPTATION OF SAMUEL BURGE ***

Produced by David Widger

CAPTAINS ALL

By W.W. Jacobs

THE TEMPTATION OF SAMUEL BURGE

[Illustration: "The Temptation of Samuel Burge."]

Mr. Higgs, jeweller, sat in the small parlour behind his shop, gazing
hungrily at a supper-table which had been laid some time before. It was
a quarter to ten by the small town clock on the mantelpiece, and the
jeweller rubbing his hands over the fire tried in vain to remember what
etiquette had to say about starting a meal before the arrival of an
expected guest.

"He must be coming by the last train after all, sir," said the
housekeeper entering the room and glancing at the clock. "I suppose
these London gentlemen keep such late hours they don't understand us
country folk wanting to get to bed in decent time. You must be wanting
your supper, sir."

Mr. Higgs sighed. "I shall be glad of my supper," he said slowly, "but I
dare say our friend is hungrier still. Travelling is hungry work."

"Perhaps he is thinking over his words for the seventh day," said the
housekeeper solemnly. "Forgetting hunger and thirst and all our poor
earthly feelings in the blessedness of his work."

"Perhaps so," assented the other, whose own earthly feelings were
particularly strong just at that moment.

"Brother Simpson used to forget all about meal-times when he stayed
here," said the housekeeper, clasping her hands. "He used to sit by the
window with his eyes half-closed and shake his head at the smell from the
kitchen and call it flesh-pots of Egypt. He said that if it wasn't for
keeping up his strength for the work, luscious bread and fair water was
all he wanted. I expect Brother Burge will be a similar sort of man."

"Brother Clark wrote and told me that he only lives for the work," said
the jeweller, with another glance at the clock. "The chapel at
Clerkenwell i