."

"What do I care for amiable and good? I want a girl to be graceful,
well-mannered, pleasing, lively to talk, and eager to listen. There,
now, don't get purple about the cheeks, and flash at me such fiery
looks. Here's the champagne, and we 'll drink a bumper to her."

"Take some other name for your toast, or I 'll fling your bottle out of
the window."

"You will, will you!" said he, setting down his glass, and measuring me
from head to foot.

"I swear it"

"I like that spirit, Digby; I'll be shot if I don't," said he, taking my
hand, which I did not give very willingly. "You are just what I was some
fifteen or twenty years ago,--warm, impulsive, and headstrong. It's the
world--that vile old mill, the world--grinds that generous nature out
of one! I declare I don't believe that a spark of real trustfulness
survives a man's first moustaches,--and yours are very faint, very faint
indeed; there 's a suspicion of smut on the upper lip, and some small
capillary flourishes along your cheek. That wine is too sweet. I 'll
return to the Bordeaux."

"I grieve to say I have no more than that bottle of it. It was some I
bought when I was ill and threatened with ague."

"What profanation! anything would be good enough for ague. It is in
a man's days of vigorous health he merits cherishing. Let us console
ourselves with Rodiger. Now, boy," said he, as he cleared off a bumper
from a large goblet, "I 'll give you some hints for your future, far
more precious than this wine, good as it is. Gustave de Marsac, like
Homer's hero, can give gold for brass, and instead of wine he will give
you wisdom. First of all for a word of warning: don't fall in love
with Sara. It's the popular error down here to do so, but it's a
cruel mistake. That fellow that has the hemp-trade here,--what's his
name,--the vulgar dog that wears mutton-chop whiskers, and fancies he's
English because he gets his coats from London? I 'll remember his name
presently,--he has all his life been proposing for Sara, and begging
off--as matters go ill or well with the House of Oppovich; and as he is
a shrewd fellow in business, all the young men here think they ought to
'go in' for Sara too."

I should say here that, however distasteful to me this talk, and however
willingly I would have repressed it, it was totally out of my power to
arrest the flow of words which with the force of a swollen torrent came
from him. He drank freely, too, large goblets of champagne