“Oh! certainly,” placing herself by his side, “I never refuse consequence, whenever I can get it.”
“Wherever you can take it, you mean,” said the Master laughing.
“And is not that every where?” said Hermachus, bowing to the fair girl.
“Yes, I believe it is. A pretty face, my friends, may presume much; a willful nature may carry all things. I have both to perfection; have I not?”
“Praise to Venus, and the Graces!” said Leontium; “our sister has brought a heart as gay from the college of Pythagoras, as she took into it.”
“To be sure; and did you expect otherwise? Psha! you philosophers know nothing of human nature. I could have told you before this last experiment, that humor lies in contrast, and that a wag will find more subject in a synod of grave sages than a crew of laughing wits. You must know,” turning to Theon, “I have been on a visit to a wise man, a very wise man, who has followed from his youth up the whim, and all very wise men have whims, of restoring the neglected school of Pythagoras to its pristine greatness. Accordingly, he has collected and brought up some dozen submissive youths to his full satisfaction; for not one of them dare know his right hand from his left, but on his master’s authority, doubly backed by that of the great founder. They have, in short, no purse of their own, no time of their own, no tongue of their own, no will of their own, and no thought of their own. You cannot conceive a more perfect community. One more virtuously insipid, more scientifically absurd, or more wisely ignorant.”
“Fie, fie, you giddy jade,” said the Master, smiling, while he tried to frown.
“Giddy, not at all. I am delivering grave matter of fact story.”
“And we are all ear,” said Hermachus, “so pray let us have the whole of it.”
“The whole? nay, you have it already. An abode of the blessed; a house with twelve bodies in it, and one brain to serve them all.”