"But why are you doing
it? Perche? perche?" he broke off once or twice to ask, eyeing me
askance with a look rather fearful than unfriendly.
"The Princess laid this task upon me," I answered cheerfully, indeed
with elation, feeling that so long as I could keep my tyrants puzzled
I still kept, somehow, the upper hand.
"I have travelled, in my time," said Marc'antonio with a touch of
vainglorious pride. "I have made the acquaintance of many
continentals, even with some that were extremely rich. But I never
crossed over to England."
"You would have found it full of eccentrics," said I.
"I dare say," said he. "For myself, I said to myself when I took
ship, 'Marc'antonio,' said I, 'you must make it a rule to be
surprised at nothing.' But do Englishmen clean hogs'-sties for
pleasure?"
"And the Princess? She has also travelled?" I asked, meeting his
question with another.
For the moment my question appeared to disturb him. Recovering
himself, he answered gravely--
"She has travelled, but not very far. You must not do her an
injustice. . . . We form our opinions on what we see.
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