Strona 125 z 167

"This here young lady," said the Gryphon, "she wants for to know

your history, she do."

"I'll tell it her," said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone:

"sit down, both of you, and don't speak a word till I've

finished."

So they sat down, and nobody spoke for some minutes. Alice

thought to herself, "I don't see how he can ever finish, if he

doesn't begin." But she waited patiently.

"Once," said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, "I was a

real Turtle."

These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by

an occasional exclamation of "Hjckrrh!" from the Gryphon, and the

constant heavy sobbing of the Mock Turtle. Alice was very nearly

getting up and saying, "Thank you, sir, for your interesting

story," but she could not help thinking there must be more to

come, so she sat still and said nothing.