'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.
