"You wish to marry him," thought Henri. "I will assist you, but I will claim my reward."
The treaty was concluded without further discussion, without protocol, between these two congenial spirits. Segel, wishing to hasten the execution, went to Jacob. He took his arm and said:--
"Come, then, to the divine Muse, who wishes to talk with you about Italy, with which her imagination is full."
"I fear I am not capable of doing justice to the subject," said Jacob.
"No matter. Come and try." So saying, he led him towards her, almost by force.
"This Jacob," said he to Muse, "is the most conscientious of tourists; he has travelled over Italy on foot while I went by the railway. He can tell you about it a hundred times better than I. He can speak to you of that land of art of which you have dreamed."
Muse, all smiles, turned to Jacob and said:--
"At last, monsieur, I have caught you, whether you will or not; you must tell me of that Italy where I am always begging mamma to take me."
"I regret very much not to be enough master of my subject to give you a just idea of that beautiful land. It is not sufficient merely to have visited it, one must have lived there to fully appreciate its beauties."
"Pardon me, but I do not agree with you. Travellers often know more of a country than its inhabitants."