Ulysses
at the cost of feminine delicacy (a habit of mind which he
never did hold with) to them he would concede neither to
bear the name nor to herit the tradition of a proper breed-
ing: while for such that, having lost all forbearance, can lose
no more, there remained the sharp antidote of experience
to cause their insolency to beat a precipitate and inglorious
retreat. Not but what he could feel with mettlesome youth
which, caring nought for the mows of dotards or the grun-
tlings of the severe, is ever (as the chaste fancy of the Holy
Writer expresses it) for eating of the tree forbid it yet not so
far forth as to pretermit humanity upon any condition so-
ever towards a gentlewoman when she was about her lawful
occasions. To conclude, while from the sister’s words he had
reckoned upon a speedy delivery he was, however, it must
be owned, not a little alleviated by the intelligence that the
issue so auspicated after an ordeal of such duress now testi-
fied once more to the mercy as well as to the bounty of the
Supreme Being.
Accordingly he broke his mind to his neighbour, saying
that, to express his notion of the thing, his opinion (who
ought not perchance to express one) was that one must have
a cold constitution and a frigid genius not to be rejoiced by
this freshest news of the fruition of her confinement since
she had been in such pain through no fault of hers. The
dressy young blade said it was her husband’s that put her
in that expectation or at least it ought to be unless she were
another Ephesian matron. I must acquaint you, said Mr
Crotthers, clapping on the table so as to evoke a resonant
comment of emphasis, old Glory Allelujurum was round