Captain
I am quite beside myself. A curse on Spruce! I think he was born for
the sole purpose of enraging me. I am not going to put up with him any
longer. The scoundrel always tries my patience to the limits. He knows
very well that I am waiting for him on tenterhooks-- But now I see him
coming. Where have you been, rogue? Tell me.
(Spruce enters, carrying a heavy trunk which he first puts down and
then sits on, without responding to the Captain.)
Captain
Speak, reply!
Spruce
For the moment, sir, I have nothing to say. Let me get my breath a
moment, please--I'm totally winded.
Captain
Do you always intend to put me in a fury and then play with me? I
don't know what prevents me from giving you a beating. What, you
rogue, just to go off to the custom house to get my trunk, takes you
all day?
Spruce
Oh, sir, customs inspectors are terrible men. All the savages in the
world are less barbarous. They can only talk in monosyllables. "yes,
no, what, sir? I have no time. But, sir-- Would you kindly open up--"
They need maybe a hundred words in their vocabulary. They give me a
headache. Finally, when you need them for something, they're more
proud and stuck up than an archbishop.
Captain
What! Do you mean to pretend you stayed at the customs house until
just now?
Spruce
Oh, no.
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