"Well, yes," he said at length, "as it happens, I have.

But a thing of no use to any one else, for the simple reason----" "That you have only enough for yourself!" The scholar looked astonished and a little offended.
"I do not know how you learned that," he said curtly, "but you are right.

I had no intention of telling you as much, but, as you have guessed that, I do not mind adding that it is a remedy for a disease which the most learned physicians do not pretend to cure." "A remedy ?" "Yes, vital and certain." "And you discovered it ?" "No, I did not discover it," Basterga replied modestly.

"But the story is so long that I will ask you to excuse me." "I shall not excuse you if you do not favour me with it," the Syndic answered eagerly.

As he leaned forward there was a light in his eyes that had not been in them a few minutes before.