“Upon my life,” he grumbled discontentedly, “one gets no peace in this miserable place. Only yesterday I was asked in cold blood to select some way of earning my own livelihood. Me! who never had even to dress myself without assistance until I came to this benighted land. And, now, you come and rouse me at this unconscionable time. I would like to catch a servant of ours seizing me by the shoulder and making me get up at this time in the morning, like that fellow did just now. I would not only have packed him about his business, but would have refused him a character into the bargain. But in this confounded country there is no freedom. One cannot do as one likes and an impudent boot cleaner actually presumes to dictate to a Fitz-Musicus! And then the women are such fools, too. They cannot appreciate a good chance when they get it. I have proposed to no less than six of them, and what do you think they all did? Nothing but laugh, upon my word! They didn’t believe that I really meant to throw myself away upon them, and when I tried to convince them that I was actually in earnest, they just grew more dense and unbelieving, and laughed all the more. An Englishwoman would have sense enough to jump at such an offer, and I don’t think I shall demean myself by proposing to another New Amazonian.” “I don’t think I would,” I rejoined as gravely as I could. “They do not know how to appreciate you. Still, I think that you are not quite fair to the land of your adoption. Personally, I have found nothing to grumble at.” “Oh! with you it is different. You see I have been used to every consideration all my life long, while you have never been anything but a mere nobody.” “Precisely so. But you will forgive me, if I remark that your sense of personal importance is running away with your discretion, and is likely to lead you into trouble.” “How do you make that out?” “Very easily. It is what has brought me to see you now. Listen——.” And then I did my best to explain the dangers of his position, and the folly of persisting in his present course of discontent and eccentricity. “If you do not mind,” I concluded seriously, “you will be treated to a strong dose of Medicated Schlafstrank some of these days, and then where will you be?”