Come to
think of it, on the other hand, you ought to get on
famously, he is an admirer of your great republic in
one of its (excuse me) shoddiest features; he takes in
and sedulously reads a lot of American papers. I
warned you he was artless."
"What papers are they?" cried I.
"San Francisco papers," said he. "He gets a bale of
them about twice a week, and studies them like the
Bible. That's one of his weaknesses; another is to be
incalculably rich. He has taken Masson's old studio--
you remember?--at the corner of the road; he has
furnished it regardless of expense, and lives there
surrounded with VINS FINS and works of art. When
the youth of to-day goes up to the Caverne des Brigands
to make punch--they do all that we did, like some
nauseous form of ape (I never appreciated before what a
creature of tradition mankind is)--this Madden follows
with a basket of champagne. I told him he was wrong,
and the punch tasted better; but he thought the boys
liked the style of the thing, and I suppose they do.
He is a very good-natured soul, and a very melancholy,
and rather a helpless.
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