“No, but you can enlighten us, Mr. Bolling.”
“You see these lines comprise the profoundest problems of philosophy—so profound as to perplex the understandings of the greatest scholars and philosophers that have ever lived; so profound, in fact, as to be quite unintelligible even to me—yet so simple as to be easily comprehended by the narrowest intellect—so simple as to be clear even to you, or to Fly here.”
This was said of a small boy who at that instant appeared with a basket of oranges.
“Fly, do you know what your master William is talking about?”
“Yes, ma’am; politics.”
“Exactly,” smiled Valeria; “go on, Mr. Bolling.”
“Hem! Observe, Mrs. Vivian, that there is an analogy all through nature—physical, mental, moral, spiritual.”
“Yes. Fly, listen—what is he talking about now?”
“Physic and sparrits, ma’am.”
“That is right. Pray go on, Mr. Bolling.”