“Quite a masterpiece!”
“Speaking serious?” said the blind man. “You could improve it with a box o’ colours; make it more ’uman-like.”
“I’ll do that.”
“I wouldn’t touch the face, nor the cross—leave ’em wooden; but the hair and the dress, and the blood from the crown o’ thorns might be all the better for a bit o’ brightenin’. How’s the man that corrupted ’Adleyburg?”
Late—299 opened the book.
“‘ ... Goodson looked him over, like as if he was hunting for a place on him that he could despise the most; then he says: “So you are the Committee of Enquiry, are you?” Sawlsberry said that was about what he was. “H’m! Do they require particulars, or do you reckon a kind of general answer will do?” “If they require particulars I will come back, Mr. Goodson; I will take the general answer first.” “Very well, then; tell them to go to hell—I reckon that’s general enough. And I’ll give you some advice, Sawlsberry; when you come back for the particulars, fetch a basket to carry what’s left of yourself home in.”’”
The blind man chuckled.
“Ah! I like that Mark Twain. Nice sense o’ humour—nothin’ sickly.”
“Bark and quinine, eh?”