The Man Who Laughs (1)

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1895. Excerpt: ... THE MAN WHO LAUGHS. PART I. THE SEA AND THE NIGHT. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I. URSUS. I. Ursits and Homo were fast friends. Ursus was a man, Homo a wolf. Their dispositions tallied. It was the man who had christened the wolf; probably he had also chosen his own name. Having found "Ursus " fit for himself, he had found "Homo " fit for the beast. Man and wolf turned their partnership to account at fairs, at village fetes, at the corners of streets where passers-by throng, and out of the need which people seem to feel everywhere to listen to idle gossip and to buy quack medicine. The wolf, gentle and courteously subordinate, diverted the crowd. It is a pleasant thing to behold the tameness of animals. Our greatest delight is to see all the varieties of domestication parade before us. This it is which collects so many folks on the road of royal processions. VOL. i. -- l THE MAN WHO LAUGHS. PART I. THE SEA AND THE NIGHT. INTRODUCTION DEGREES CHAPTER I. URSUS. I. Ursus and Homo were fast friends. Ursus was a man, Homo a wolf. Their dispositions tallied. It was the man who had christened the wolf; probably he had also chosen his own name. Having found "Ursus " fit for himself, he had found "Homo " fit for the beast. Man and wolf turned their partnership to account at fairs, at village fetes, at the corners of streets where passers-by throng, and out of the need which people seem to feel everywhere to listen to idle gossip and to buy quack medicine. The wolf, gentle and courteously subordinate, diverted the crowd. It is a pleasant thing to behold the tameness of animals. Our greatest delight is to see all the varieties of domestication parade before us. This it is which collects so many folks on the road of royal processions. VOl. I. -- 1 Ursus and Homo went about from cross-road tc cross-road, from t...