y, which, if an obstinate animal, is a safer horse, and conducts
man at a slower pace to the sexton. Adrian had never travelled. He was
aware that his romance was earthly and had discomforts only to be evaded
by the one potent talisman possessed by his patron. His Alp would hardly
be grand to him without an obsequious landlord in the foreground:
he must recline on Mammon's imperial cushions in order to moralize
becomingly on the ancient world. The search for pleasure at the expense
of discomfort, as frantic lovers woo their mistresses to partake the
shelter of a but and batten on a crust, Adrian deemed the bitterness
of beggarliness. Let his sweet mistress be given him in the pomp and
splendour due to his superior emotions, or not at all. Consequently the
wise youth had long nursed an ineffectual passion, and it argued a great
nature in him, that at the moment when his wishes were to be crowned, he
should look with such slight touches of spleen at the gorgeous composite
fabric of Parisian cookery and Roman antiquities crumbling into
unsubstantial mockery. Assuredly very few even of the philosophers would
have turned away uncomplainingly to meaner delights the moment after.

Hippias received the first portion of the cake.

He was sitting by the window in his hotel, reading. He had fought down
his breakfast with more than usual success, and was looking forward to
his dinner at the Foreys' with less than usual timidity.

"Ah! glad you've come, Adrian," he said, and expanded his chest. "I was
afraid I should have to ride down. This is kind of you. We'll walk down
together through the park. It's absolutely dangerous to walk alone in
these streets. My opinion is, that orange-peel lasts all through the
year now, and will till legislation puts a stop to it. I give you
my word I slipped on a piece of orange-peel yesterday afternoon in
Piccadilly, and I thought I was down! I saved myself by a miracle."

"You have an appetite, I hope?" asked Adrian.

"I think I shall get one, after a bit of a walk," chirped Hippias. "Yes.
I think I feel hungry now."

"Charmed to hear it," said Adrian, and began unpinning his parcel on his
knees. "How should you define Folly?" he checked the process to inquire.

"Hm!" Hippias meditated; he prided himself on being oracular when such
questions were addressed to him. "I think I should define it to be a
slide."

"Very good definition. In other words, a piece of orange-peel; once on
it, your lif