I had landed in France two days before, transacted some necessary business, and was now en route for London. I had prospered there, and my wife and I had both enjoyed^the free and easy life of the South American continent, nevertheless it was with a lump in my throat that I watched the familiar shore draw nearer and nearer. Doubtless many of them had only crossed to Paris for the week-end, whereas I had spent the last year and a half on a ranch in the Argentine. Yet perhaps their case was different from mine. 2 Agatha Christie On this particular July morning, as I stood by the rail and watched the white cliffs of Dover drawing nearer, I marvelled at the passengers who could sit calmly in their chairs and never even raise their eyes for the first sight of the native land. Perhaps all this is merely a legacy from one's short leaves in the war, when it seemed a matter of such importance to secure a place near the gangway, and to be amongst the first to disembark lest one should waste precious minutes of one's three or five days' leave. I bolt my food with an uneasy feeling that the boat may arrive unexpectedly whilst I am below. I move my suitcases from one spot to another, and if I go down to the saloon for a meal. From the moment I get on board I feel that the time is too short to settle down to anything. The Unexpected Quest I have met people who enjoy a channel crossing men who can sit calmly in their deck-chairs and, on arrival, wait until the boat is moored, then gather their belongings together without fuss and disembark.
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