At seven o'clock thirty yards of the line had been repaired. The night
was closing in. It was decided to wait until the morning. In half a day
we could finish the work, and in the afternoon we could be off again.
We were in great want of food and sleep. After so rude a task, how rude
the appetite! We met in the dining car without distinction of classes.
There was no scarcity of provisions, and a large breach was made in the
reserves. Never mind! We can fill up again at Tcharkalyk.
Caterna is particularly cheery, talkative, facetious, communicative,
overflowing. At dessert he and his wife sang the air--appropriate to
the occasion--from the _Voyage en Chine_, which we caught up with more
power than precision:
"China is a charming land
Which surely ought to please you."
Oh! Labiche, could you ever have imagined that this adorable
composition would one day charm passengers in distress on the Grand
Transasiatic? And then our actor--a little fresh, I admit--had an idea.
And such an idea! Why not resume the marriage ceremony interrupted by
the attack on the train?
"What marriage?" asked Ephrinell.
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