Assume now, Babbalanja,--assume, my dear prince--assume it, assume it, I say!--Why don't you ?" "I am willing to assume any thing you please, my lord: what is it ?" "Ah! yes!--Assume that--that upon returning home, you should find your wife had newly wedded, under the--the--the metaphysical presumption, that being no longer visible, you--_you_ Azzageddi, had departed this life; in other words, out of sight, out of mind; what then, my dear prince ?" "Why then, my lord, I would demolish my rival in a trice." "Would you ?--then--then so much for your metaphysics, Bab--Babbalanja." Babbalanja rose to his feet, muttering to himself--"Is this assumed, or real ?--Can a demi-god be mastered by wine?
Yet, the old mythologies make bacchanals of the gods.

But he was wondrous keen! He felled me, ere he fell himself." "Yoomy, my lord Media is in a very merry mood to-day," whispered Mohi, "but his counterfeit was not well done.

No, no, a bacchanal is not used to be so logical in his cups.".