Perhaps this Jack was the
only really logical man in the world. Now she found that in talking of
Poverty as the only happiness, he literally and really believed it so. He
would own nothing but the barest necessities--neither pictures, nor
furniture, neither clothes nor books. Pictures, furniture? Why, he had no
roof to shelter them! Clothes? Where was he to carry them, if not on his
back? Books? He had half-dozen, which contained all the wisdom of the
world. So he used to cry. Now, this might be as it was; but when he seemed
to expect her to be of the same mind and behaviour, you will see that he
must needs be mad.
Yet so it was. He had lived in a tent for twenty years, so took his tent
to Germany, and went on living in it. In that, with complete gravity, he
received the Grand Duke of Baden, and several uniformed high officials,
who wore plumed headgear and incredibly high collars, and glittering boots
of patent leather. Folded superbly in cloaks of milky blue, they looked to
Mary like gods; to Senhouse they were amusing fellow-creatures, interested
in his plants and plans. He spread maps on the ground and followed his
racing finger with racing speech. His German was faulty, but exceedingly
graphic.
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