ery time!
On thees question he gets there; he gets left, nevarre!"

"But Professor Dobbs, your geologian, what does HE say to this frequent
recurrence of the conglomerate sandstone period in your study?" I asked
quickly.

"He say nothing. You comprehend? He ees a profound geologian, but he
also has the admiration excessif for my wife Urania." He stopped to kiss
his hand again toward the door, and lighted a cigarette. "The geologian
would not that he should break up the happy efening of his friends
by thees small detail. He put aside his head--so; he say, 'A leetle
freestone, a leetle granite, now and then, for variety; they are
building in Montgomery Street.' I take the hint, like a wink to the
horse that has gone blind. I attach to myself part of the edifice that
is erecting himself in Montgomery Street. I crack him; I bring him
home. I sit again at the feet of my beautiful Urania, and I label him
'Freestone,' 'Granite;' but I do not say 'from Parrott's Bank'--eet is
not necessary for our happiness."

"And you do this sort of thing only because you think it pleases your
wife?" I asked bluntly.

"My friend," rejoined Enriquez, perching himself on the back of the
sofa, and caressing his knees as he puffed his cigarette meditatively,
"you have ask a conundrum. Gif to me an easier one! It is of truth that
I make much of these thing to please Urania. But I shall confess all.
Behold, I appear to you, my leetle brother, in my camisa--my shirt! I
blow on myself; I gif myself away."

He rose gravely from the sofa, and drew a small box from one of the
drawers of the wardrobe. Opening it, he discovered several specimens of
gold-bearing quartz, and one or two scales of gold. "Thees," he said,
"friend Pancho, is my own geology; for thees I am what you see. But I
say nothing to Urania; for she have much disgust of mere gold,--of what
she calls 'vulgar mining,'--and believe me, a fear of the effect of
'speculation' upon my temperamento--you comprehend my complexion, my
brother? Reflect upon it, Pancho! I, who am the filosofo, if that I am
anything!" He looked at me with great levity of eye and supernatural
gravity of demeanor. "But eet ees the jealous affection of the wife,
my friend, for which I make play to her with the humble leetle
pouding-stone rather than the gold quartz that affrights."

"But what do you want with them, if you have no shares in anything and
do not speculate?" I asked.

"Pardon! That ees where you slip