He　continued。
  〃There　was　the　soul　of　Cratinus　…　passable：　Aristophanes　…　racy：　Plato
  …　exquisite…　not　your　Plato；　but　Plato　the　comic　poet；　your　Plato　would
  have　turned　the　stomach　of　Cerberus　…　faugh！　Then　let　me　see！　there　were
  Naevius；　and　Andronicus；　and　Plautus；　and　Terentius。　Then　there　were
  Lucilius；　and　Catullus；　and　Naso；　and　Quintus　Flaccus；　…　dear　Quinty！　as　I
  called　him　when　he　sung　a　seculare　for　my　amusement；　while　I　toasted　him；
  in　pure　good　humor；　on　a　fork。　But　they　want　flavor；　these　Romans。　One　fat
  Greek　is　worth　a　dozen　of　them；　and　besides　will　keep；　which　cannot　be
  said　of　a　Quirite。　…　Let　us　taste　your　Sauterne。〃
  Bon…Bon　had　by　this　time　made　up　his　mind　to　nil　admirari　and
  endeavored　to　hand　down　the　bottles　in　question。　He　was；　however；
  conscious　of　a　strange　sound　in　the　room　like　the　wagging　of　a　tail。　Of
  this；　although　extremely　indecent　in　his　Majesty；　the　philosopher　took　no
  notice：　…　simply　kicking　the　dog；　and　requesting　him　to　be　quiet。　The
  visiter　continued：
  〃I　found　that　Horace　tasted　very　much　like　Aristotle；　…　you　know　I　am
  fond　of　variety。　Terentius　I　could　not　have　told　from　Menander。　Naso；　to
  my　astonishment；　was　Nicander　in　disguise。　Virgilius　had　a　strong　twang　of
  Theocritus。　Martial　put　me　much　in　mind　of　Archilochus　…　and　Titus　Livius
  was　positively　Polybius　and　none　other。〃
  〃Hic…cup！〃　here　replied　Bon…Bon；　and　his　majesty　proceeded：
  〃But　if　I　have　a　penchant；　Monsieur　Bon…Bon　…　if　I　have　a　penchant；　it
  is　for　a　philosopher。　Yet；　let　me　tell　you；　sir；　it　is　not　every　dev　…　I
  mean　it　is　not　every　gentleman　who　knows　how　to　choose　a　philosopher。　Long
  ones　are　not　good；　and　the　best；　if　not　carefully　shelled；　are　apt　to　be　a
  little　rancid　on　account　of　the　gall！〃
  〃Shelled！〃
  〃I　mean　taken　out　of　the　carcass。〃
  〃What　do　you　think　of　a　…　hic…cup！　…　physician？〃
  〃Don't　mention　them！　…　ugh！　ugh！　ugh！〃　（Here　his　Majesty　retched
  violently。）　〃I　never　tasted　but　one　…　that　rascal　Hippocrates！　…　smelt　of
  asafoetida　…　ugh！　ugh！　ugh！　…　caught　a　wretched　cold　washing　him　in　the
  Styx　…　and　after　all　he　gave　me　the　cholera　morbus。〃
  〃The　…　hiccup　…　wretch！〃　ejaculated　Bon…Bon；　〃the　…　hic…cup！　…
  absorption　of　a　pill…box！〃　…　and　the　philosopher　dropped　a　tear。
  〃After　all；〃　continued　the　visiter；　〃after　all；　if　a　dev　…　if　a
  gentleman　wishes　to　live；　he　must　have　more　talents　than　one　or　two；　and
  with　us　a　fat　face　is　an　evidence　of　diplomacy。〃
  〃How　so？〃
  〃Why；　we　are　sometimes　exceedingly　pushed　for　provisions。　You　must
  know　that；　in　a　climate　so　sultry　as　mine；　it　is　frequently　impossible　to
  keep　a　spirit　alive　for　more　than　two　or　three　hours；　and　after　death；
  unless　pickled　immediately　（and　a　pickled　spirit　is　not　good）；　they　will　…
  smell　…　you　understand；　eh？　Putrefaction　is　always　to　be　apprehended　when
  the　souls　are　consigned　to　us　in　the　usual　way。〃
  〃Hiccup！　…　hiccup！　…　good　God！　how　do　you　manage？〃
  Here　the　iron　lamp　commenced　swinging　with　redoubled　violence；　and　the
  devil　half　started　from　his　seat；　…　however；　with　a　slight　sigh；　he
  recovered　his　composure；　merely　saying　to　our　hero　in　a　low　tone：　〃I　tell
  you　what；　Pierre　Bon…Bon；　we　must　have　no　more　swearing。〃
  The　host　swallowed　another　bumper；　by　way　of　denoting　thorough
  comprehension　and　acquiescence；　and　the　visiter　continued。
  〃Why；　there　are　several　ways　of　managing。　The　most　of　us　starve：　some
  put　up　with　the　pickle：　for　my　part　I　purchase　my　spirits　vivente　corpore；
  in　which　case　I　find　they　keep　very　well。〃
  〃But　the　body！　…　hiccup！　…　the　body！〃
  〃The　body；　the　body　…　well；　what　of　the　body？　…　oh！　ah！　I　perceive。
  Why；　sir；　the　body　is　not　at　all　affected　by　the　transaction。　I　have　made
  innumerable　purchases　of　the　kind　in　my　day；　and　the　parties　never
  experienced　any　inconvenience。　There　were　Cain　and　Nimrod；　and　Nero；　and
  Caligula；　and　Dionysius；　and　Pisistratus；　and　…　and　a　thousand　others；　who
  never　knew　what　it　was　to　have　a　soul　during　the　latter　part　of　their
  lives；　yet；　sir；　these　men　adorned　society。　Why　possession　of　his
  faculties；　mental　and　corporeal？　Who　writes　a　keener　epigram？　Who　reasons
  more　wittily？　Who　…　but　stay！　I　have　his　agreement　in　my　pocket…book。〃
  Thus　saying；　he　produced　a　red　leather　wallet；　and　took　from　it　a
  number　of　papers。　Upon　some　of　these　Bon…Bon　caught　a　glimpse　of　the
  letters　Machi　…　Maza…　Robesp　…　with　the　words　Caligula；　George；　Elizabeth。
  His　Majesty　selected　a　narrow　slip　of　parchment；　and　from　it　read　aloud
  the　following　words：
  〃In　consideration　of　certain　mental　endowments　which　it　is　unnecessary
  to　specify；　and　in　further　consideration　of　one　thousand　louis　d'or；　I
  being　aged　one　year　and　one　month；　do　hereby　make　over　to　the　bearer　of
  this　agreement　all　my　right；　title；　and　appurtenance　in　the　shadow　called
  my　soul。　（Signed）　A。。。。〃　｛*4｝　（Here　His　Majesty　repeated　a　name　which　I
  did　not　feel　justified　in　indicating　more　unequivocally。）
  ｛*4｝　Quere…Arouet？
  〃A　clever　fellow　that；〃　resumed　he；　〃but　like　you；　Monsieur　Bon…Bon；
  he　was　mistaken　about　the　soul。　The　soul　a　shadow；　truly！　The　soul　a
  shadow；　Ha！　ha！　ha！　…　he！　he！　he！　…　hu！　hu！　hu！　Only　think　of　a　fricasseed
  shadow！〃
  〃Only　think　…　hiccup！　…　of　a　fricasseed　shadow！〃　exclaimed　our　hero；
  whose　faculties　were　becoming　much　illuminated　by　the　profundity　of　his
  Majesty's　discourse。
  〃Only　think　of　a　hiccup！　…　fricasseed　shadow！！　Now；　damme！　…　hiccup！　…
  humph！　If　I　would　have　been　such　a　…　hiccup！　…　nincompoop！　My　soul；　Mr。　…
  humph！〃
  〃Your　soul；　Monsieur　Bon…Bon？〃
  〃Yes；　sir　…　hiccup！　…　my　soul　is…〃
  〃What；　sir？〃
  〃No　shadow；　damme！〃
  〃Did　you　mean　to　say…〃
  〃Yes；　sir；　my　soul　is　…　hiccup！　…　humph！　…　yes；　sir。〃
  〃Did　you　not　intend　to　assert…〃
  〃My　soul　is　…　hiccup！　…　peculiarly　qualified　for　…　hiccup！　…　a…〃
  〃What；　sir？〃
  〃Stew。〃
  〃Ha！〃
  〃Soufflee。〃
  〃Eh！〃
  〃Fricassee。〃
  〃Indeed！〃
  〃Ragout　and　fricandeau　…　and　see　here；　my　good　fellow！　I'll　let　you
  have　it…　hiccup！　…　a　bargain。〃　Here　the　philosopher　slapped　his　Majesty
  upon　the　back。
  〃Couldn't　think　of　such　a　thing；〃　said　the　latter　calmly；　at　the　same
  time　rising　from　his　seat。　The　metaphysician　stared。
  〃Am　supplied　at　present；〃　said　his　Majesty。
  〃Hiccup　…　e…h？〃　said　the　philosopher。
  〃Have　no　funds　on　hand。〃
  〃What？〃
  〃Besides；　very　unhandsome　in　me　…〃
  〃Sir！〃
  〃To　take　advantage　of…〃
  〃Hiccup！〃
  〃Your　present　disgusting　and　ungentlemanly　situation。〃
  Here　the　visiter　bowed　and　withdrew　…　in　what　manner　could　not
  precisely　be　ascertained　…　but　in　a　well…concerted　effort　to　discharge　a
  bottle　at　〃the　villain；〃　the　slender　chain　was　severed　that　depended　from
  the　ceiling；　and　the　metaphysician　prostrated　by　the　downfall　of　the　lamp。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  SOME　WORDS　WITH　A　MUMMY。
  THE　_symposium_　of　the　preceding　evening　had　been　a　little　too　much
  for　my　nerves。　I　had　a　wretched　headache；　and　was　desperately　drowsy。
  Instead　of　going　out　therefore　to　spend　the　evening　as　I　had　proposed；　it
  occurred　to　me　that　I　could　not　do　a　wiser　thing　than　just　eat　a　mouthful
  of　supper　and　go　immediately　to　bed。
  A　light　supper　of　course。　I　am　exceedingly　fond　of　Welsh　rabbit。　More　than
  a　pound　at　once；　however；　may　not　at　all　times　be　advisable。　Still；　there
  can　be　no　material　objection　to　two。　And　really　between　two　and　three；
  there　is　merely　a　single　unit　of　difference。　I　ventured；　perhaps；　upon
  four。　My　wife　will　have　it　five；　　but；　clearly；　she　has　confounded　two
  very　distinct　affairs。　The　abstract　number；　five；　I　am　willing　to　admit；
  but；　concretely；　it　has　reference　to　bottles　of　Brown　Stout；　without
  which；　in　the　way　of　condiment；　Welsh　rabbit　is　to　be　eschewed。
  Having　thus　concluded　a　frugal　meal；　and　donned　my　night…cap；　with　the
  serene　hope　of　enjoying　it　till　noon　the　next　day；　I　placed　my　head　upon
  the　pillow；　and；　through　the　aid　of　a　capital　conscience；　fell　into　a
  profound　slumber　forthwith。
  But　when　were　the　hopes　of　humanity　fulfilled？　I　could　not　have　completed
  my　third　snore　when　there　came　a　furious　ringing　at　the　street…door　bell；
  and　then　an　impatient　thumping　at　the　knocker；　which　awakened　me　at　once。
  In　a　minute　afterward；　and　while　I　was　still　rubbing　my　eyes；　my　wife
  thrust　in　my　face　a　note；　from　my　old　friend；　Doctor　Ponnonner。　It　ran
  thus：
  〃Come　to　me；　by　all　means；　my　dear　good　friend；　as　soon　as　you
  receive　this。　Come　and　help　us　to　rejoice。　At　last；　by　long　persevering
  diplomacy；　I　have　gained　the　assent　of　the　Directors　of　the　City　Museum；
  to　my　examination　of　the　Mummy　　you　know　the　one　I　mean。　I　have
  permission　to　unswathe　it　and　open　it；　if　desirable。　A　few　friends　only
  will　be　present　　you；　of　course。　The　Mummy　is　now　at　my　house；　and　we
  shall　begin　to　unroll　it　at　eleven　to…night。
  〃Yours；　ever；
  PONNONNER。
  By　the　time　I　had　reached　the　〃Ponnonner；〃　it　struck　me　that　I　was　as　wide
  awake　as　a　man　need　be。　I　leaped　out　of　bed　in　an　ecstacy；　overthrowing
  all　in　my　way；　dressed　myself　with　a　rapidity