“‘Enos,’ said he to me, between his sniffs, ’this impresses me like flowers,—­like marigolds.  It must be,—­really,—­yes, the vegetable element is predominant.  My instinct towards it is so strong that I cannot be mistaken.  May I taste it, Ma’am?’

“The woman sliced off a thin corner, and presented it to him on the knife.

“‘Delicious!’ he exclaimed; ’I am right,—­this is the True Food.  Give me two pounds,—­and the crackers, Ma’am.’

“I turned away, quite as much disgusted as amused with this charlatanism.  And yet I verily believe the fellow was sincere,—­self-deluded only.  I had by this time lost my faith in him, though not in the great Arcadian principles.  On reaching home, after an hour’s walk, I found our household in unusual commotion.  Abel was writhing in intense pain:  he had eaten the whole two pounds of cheese, on his way home!  His stomach, so weakened by years of unhealthy abstinence from true nourishment, was now terribly tortured by this sudden stimulus.  Mrs. Shelldrake, fortunately, had some mustard among her stores, and could therefore administer a timely emetic.  His life was saved, but he was very ill for two or three days.  Hollins did not fail to take advantage of this circumstance to overthrow the authority which Abel had gradually acquired on the subject of food.  He was so arrogant in his nature that he could not tolerate the same quality in another, even where their views coincided.

“By this time several weeks had passed away.  It was the beginning of July, and the long summer heats had come.  I was driven out of my attic during the middle hours of the day, and the others found it pleasanter on the doubly shaded stoop than in their chambers.  We were thus thrown more together than usual,—­a circumstance which made our life more monotonous to the others, as I could see; but to myself, who could at last talk to Eunice, and who was happy at the very sight of her, this ‘heated term’ seemed borrowed from Elysium.  I read aloud, and the sound of my own voice gave me confidence; many passages suggested discussions, in which I took a part; and you may judge, Ned, how fast I got on, from the fact that I ventured to tell Eunice of my fish-bakes with Perkins, and invite her to join them.  After that, she, also, often disappeared from sight for an hour or two in the afternoon.”

——­“Oh, Mr. Johnson,” interrupted Mrs. Billings, “it wasn’t for the fish!”

“Of course not,” said her husband; “it was for my sake.”

“No, you need not think it was for you.  Enos,” she added, perceiving the feminine dilemma into which she had been led, “all this is not necessary to the story.”

“Stop!” he answered.  “The A.C. has been revived for this night only.  Do you remember our platform, or rather no-platform?  I must follow my impulses, and say whatever comes uppermost.”

“Right, Enos,” said Mr. Johnson; “I, as temporary Arcadian, take the same ground.  My instinct tells me that you, Mrs. Billings, must permit the confession.”