Page:Armatafragment00ersk.djvu/282

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¬you that we desert all those natural beauties you have been admiring, though we exhaust Our fortunes to create and keep them up, — that we prefer the frosts and fogs of our rigorous climate to its most delicious sunshine, — and abandon even our public councils in the most arduous and critical conjunctures rather than not follow up the closest scent of what so much revolts your ultra mundane nostrils.' — Do you wonder now," he said, as if he had just finished the demonstration of the plainest problem in Euclid, " do you wonder now, my good friend, that the absent proprietor of this mansion would have started back with horror, when told of the outrage which I so fortunately averted ?" I lis- tened to all this with silent composure, and taking out my leathern snuff-box, which had fortunately defied sea-water, and in which there still remained some most excellent rappee for the refreshment of my ultra mundane nostrils, I put out my hand, under the pretence of thank ing him, but in fact to take the chance of coming in contact with his pulse, as I was now ¬quite ¬