16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
takes ten minutes I shall be twenty minutes
late.'
'If I let you out by the stable door it will be the
third on your right hand: and I will give the little
girls over to the sailor when he comes with
the gig.'
In spite of his name Pascual de Gayongos
was a Catalan, and when by a series of arbitrary
questions and answers Stephen had established
his identity it was in Catalan that he
said, 'I had expected you long, long before
this.'
'I regret it extremely,' said Stephen. 'I was
caught up in a particularly interesting conversation.
But, my dear sir, does not a long, long
time almost border on the excessive for twenty
minutes?'
'I was not speaking of twenty minutes, no, nor