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Chapter 10 I am glad of it, said I, settling the account with myself, as I walkd into Lyonsmy chaise being all laid higgledy-piggledy with my baggage in a cart, which was moving slowly before meI am heartily glad, said I, that tis all broke to pieces; for now I can go directly by water to Avignon, which will carry me on a hundred and twenty miles of my journey, and not cost me seven livresand from thence, continued I, bringing forwards the account, I can hire a couple of mulesor asses, if I like, (for nobody knows me,) and cross the plains of Languedoc for almost nothingI shall gain four hundred livres by the misfortune clear into my purse: and pleasure! worthworth double the money by it. With what velocity, continued I, clapping my two hands together, shall I fly down the rapid Rhone, with the Vivares on my right hand, and Dauphiny on my left, scarce seeing the ancient cities of Vienne, Valence, and Vivieres. What a flame will it rekindle in the lamp, to snatch a blushing grape from the Hermitage and Cote roti, as I shoot by the foot of them! and what a fresh spring in the blood! to behold upon the banks advancing and retiring, the castles of romance, whence courteous knights have whilome rescued the distressdand see vertiginous, the rocks, the mountains, the cataracts, and all the hurry which Nature is in with all her great works about her. As I went on thus, methought my chaise, the wreck of which lookd stately enough at the first, insensibly grew less and less in its size; the freshness of the painting was no morethe gilding lost its lustreand the whole affair appeared so poor in my eyesso sorry!so contemptible! and, in a word, so much worse than the abbess of Andouillets itselfthat I was just opening my mouth to give it to the devilwhen a pert vamping chaise- undertaker, stepping nimbly across the street, demanded if Monsieur would have his chaise refittedNo, no, said I, shaking my head sidewaysWould Monsieur choose to sell it? rejoined the undertakerWith all my soul, said Ithe iron work is worth forty livresand the glasses worth forty more and the leather you may take to live on. What a mine of wealth, quoth I, as he counted me the money, has this post- chaise brought me in? And this is my usual method of book-keeping, at least with the disasters of lifemaking a penny of every one of em as they happen to me Do, my dear Jenny, tell the world for me, how I behaved under one, the most oppressive of its kind, which could befal me as a man, proud as he ought to be of his manhood Tis enough, saidst thou, coming close up to me, as I stood with my garters in my hand, reflecting upon what had not passdTis enough, Tristram, and I am satisfied, saidst thou, whispering these words in my ear, .... .. .... ... ......;...... ...any other man would have sunk down to the centre Every thing is good for something, quoth I. Ill go into Wales for six weeks, and drink goats wheyand Ill gain seven years longer life for the accident. For which reason I think myself inexcusable, for blaming Fortune so often as I have done, for pelting me all my life long, like an ungracious duchess, as I calld her, with so many small evils: surely, if I have any cause to be angry with her, tis that she has not sent me great onesa score of good cursed, bouncing losses, would have been as good as a pension to me. One of a hundred a year, or so, is all I wishI would not be at the plague of paying land-tax for a larger. |
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