hing--how vast a superfluity of breath I have to dispose of!
If you do not know, however, sit down and you shall see. In my situation
it is really a great relief to be able to open ones mouth--to be able to
expatiate--to be able to communicate with a person like yourself, who do
not think yourself called upon at every period to interrupt the thread
of a gentleman's discourse. Interruptions are annoying and should
undoubtedly be abolished--don't you think so?--no reply, I beg you,--one
person is enough to be speaking at a time.--I shall be done by and
by, and then you may begin.--How the devil sir, did you get into this
place?--not a word I beseech you--been here some time myself--terrible
accident!--heard of it, I suppose?--awful calamity!--walking under
your windows--some short while ago--about the time you were
stage-struck--horrible occurrence!--heard of "catching one's breath,"
eh?--hold your tongue I tell you!--I caught somebody elses!--had always
too much of my own--met Blab at the corner of the street--wouldn't give
me a chance for a word--couldn't get in a syllable edgeways--attacked,
consequently, with epilepsis--Blab made his escape--damn all
fools!--they took me up for dead, and put me in this place--pretty
doings all of them!--heard all you said about me--every word a
lie--horrible!--wonderful--outrageous!--hideous!--incomprehensible!--et
cetera--et cetera--et cetera--et cetera-"

It is impossible to conceive my astonishment at so unexpected a
discourse, or the joy with which I became gradually convinced that the
breath so fortunately caught by the gentleman (whom I soon recognized as
my neighbor Windenough) was, in fact, the identical expiration
mislaid by myself in the conversation with my wife. Time, place, and
circumstances rendered it a matter beyond question. I did not at
least during the long period in which the inventor of Lombardy poplars
continued to favor me with his explanations.

In this respect I was actuated by that habitual prudence which has ever
been my predominating trait. I reflected that many difficulties might
still lie in the path of my preservation which only extreme exertion on
my part would be able to surmount. Many persons, I considered, are prone
to estimate commodities in their possession--however valueless to the
then proprietor--however troublesome, or distressing--in direct ratio
with the advantages to be derived by others from their attainment, or by
themselves from their ab