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Concerning the Carnival of Crime in Connecticut 315
Call me ' my lord,' if you please. You are too familiar."
" I don't like such titles. I am willing to call you sir. That is as far as—"
" We will have no argument about this. Just obey; that is all. Go on with your chatter."
"Very well, my lord — since nothing but my lord will suit you — I was going to ask you how long you will be visible to me?"
" Always !''
I broke out with strong indignation : " This is simply an outrage. That is what I think of it. You have dogged, and dogged, and dogged me, all the days of my life, invisible. That was misery enough; now to have such a looking thing as you tagging after me like another shadow all the rest of my days is an intolerable prospect. You have my opinion, my lord; make the most of it."
"My lad, there was never so pleased a conscience in this world as I was when you made me visible. It gives me an inconceivable advantage. Now I can look you straight in the eye, and call you names, and leer at you, jeer at you, sneer at you; and you know what eloquence there is in visible gesture and expression, more especially when the effect is heightened by audible speech. I shall always address you henceforth in your o-w-n s-n-i-v-e-1-i-n-g d-r-a-w-1 — baby!"
I let fly with the coal-hod. No result. My lord said:
" Come, come ! Remember the flag of truce !"
"Ah, I forgot that. I will try to be civil; and you try it, too, for a novelty. The idea of a civil conscience! It is a good joke; an excellent joke. All the consciences I have ever heard of were nagging, badgering, fault-finding, execrable savages ! Yes; and always in a sweat about some poor little insignificant |
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