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.