He had been thus occupied for some minutes when "I am in no hurry,
Monsieur Bon-Bon," suddenly whispered a whining voice in the
apartment.
"The devil!" ejaculated our hero, starting to his feet,
overturning the table at his side, and staring around him in
astonishment.
"Very true," calmly replied the voice.
"Very true!- what is very true?- how came you here?" vociferated
the metaphysician, as his eye fell upon something which lay stretched
at full length upon the bed.
"I was saying," said the intruder, without attending to the
interrogatives,- "I was saying that I am not at all pushed for time-
that the business upon which I took the liberty of calling, is of
no pressing importance- in short, that I can very well wait until you
have finished your Exposition."
"My Exposition!- there now!- how do you know?- how came you to
understand that I was writing an Exposition?- good God!"
"Hush!" replied the figure, in a shrill undertone; and, arising
quickly from the bed, he made a single step toward our hero, while
an iron lamp that depended over-head swung convulsively back from
his approach.
The philosopher's amazement did not prevent a narrow scrutiny of the
stranger's dress and appearance. The outlines of his figure,
exceedingly lean, but much above the common height, were rendered
minutely distinct, by means of a faded suit of black cloth which
fitted tight to the skin, but was otherwise cut very much in the style
of a century ago.
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