“Ah, physiology! That is an important subject, and one that admits of an elegant style.” And he began to complain of being himself overwhelmed by his literary labors. “Let us hope, Senhor Zuzarte,” he ended, “that our vigils may not prove unfruitful.”
“Yours, Counsellor, yours,” exclaimed Julião. And he added, with an appearance of interest, “When are we to have your new work? It is awaited with a great deal of curiosity.”
“So I understand,” returned the counsellor, with an air of gravity. “Some days since, the Minister of Justice, that illustrious scholar, said to me,—he did me the honor to say to me,—‘Give us your book soon, Accacio; we need light on that subject greatly.’ Those were his words. Of course I bowed and responded: ‘Senhor Minister, I shall not be the one to refuse to my country what my country demands of me.’”
“Very good, Counsellor; very good!”
“I may tell you here in confidence,” he added, “that the minister gave me reason to anticipate the decoration of the order of Santiago in the near future.”
“They should have given it to you before this, Counsellor,” exclaimed Julião, with secret amusement; “but in this country of knaves—yes, you should be wearing it on your breast now!”
“That is true!” exclaimed Donna Felicidade quickly.
“Thanks, thanks!” stammered the counsellor, blushing, and in the expansion of his gratitude offering Julião his snuff-box.
“I will take a pinch to make me sneeze,” said the latter.
Julião was this evening in an agreeable frame of mind; his occupations and the hopes he founded on them had dissipated his bitterness of spirit. He even seemed to have forgotten the humiliation he had endured on the occasion of his meeting with Bazilio in this very parlor; for no sooner did Luiza return than he asked for him.