" But I had no wish
to inquire, and the matter would have dropped had he not himself
added--"I fear that I shall meet acquaintances in Egypt whom it will
give me no pleasure to see."
"Then," said I, "if I were you, I would go to Constantinople
instead;--indeed, anywhere rather than fall among friends who are
not friendly. And the nearer the friend is, the more one feels that
sort of thing. To my way of thinking, there is nothing on earth so
pleasant as a pleasant wife; but then, what is there so damnable as
one that is unpleasant?"
"Are you a married man?" he inquired. All his questions were put in
a low tone of voice which seemed to give to them an air of special
interest, and made one almost feel that they were asked with some
special view to one's individual welfare. Now the fact is, that I
am a married man with a family; but I am not much given to talk to
strangers about my domestic concerns, and, therefore, though I had
no particular object in view, I denied my obligations in this
respect. "No," said I; "I have not come to that promotion yet. I
am too frequently on the move to write myself down as
Paterfamilias.
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