These things, supplemented by clear cold water, were not so bad for a couple of castaways, hundreds of miles from everywhere.
For the life of him the man could not refrain from displaying the conversational art in which he excelled.

Their talk dealt with Italy, Egypt, India.

He spoke with the ease of culture and enthusiasm.

Once he slipped into anecdote _a propos_ of the helplessness of British soldiers in any matter outside the scope of the King's Regulations.
"I remember," he said, "seeing a cavalry subaltern and the members of an escort sitting, half starved, on a number of bags piled up in the Suakin desert.

And what do you think were in the bags ?" "I don't know," said Iris, keenly alert for deductions.
"Biscuits! They thought the bags contained patent fodder until I enlightened them." It was on the tip of her tongue to pounce on him with the comment: "Then you have been an officer in the army." But she forbore.