"'Then what are you—a butcher?" said the agent.
"'You are insulting,' said Gorgonzola, indignantly.
"'We may be, but we do not intend to be,' said the agent. 'The man who is nothing is nothing; if he is not nothing, he is something else. Therefore you may be a butcher.'
"'You cannot have my name at all, then,' said Gorgonzola, with an angry wave of his hand.
"'Oh yes, we can,' replied the agent. 'Your name is here. Therefore we have your name and address. Your occupation is what we wish to learn. If you are not occupied, we will put you down as "vacant," or "to let," or as "nothing." We are under contract to the Board of Trade to give them a complete Directory, and we intend to do so. What, then, are you?'
"'Well, you see,' said Gorgonzola, desperately, 'as yet I am nothing, but I hope to be an author—'
"'And how soon do you hope to be an author?" asked the agent.
"'It may come at any time—to-morrow, or the next day—or the day after—'
"'Oh, well, then, it is all right already,' put in the agent, 'for our Directory will not be out before that. Under no circumstances can we have it ready before to-morrow, or the next day, or the day after. I will therefore put you down as an "author," for doubtless you will be one before our Directory is published.'
"To this," Hans continued, "poor old Gorgonzola weakly consented. You see, he fully expected to be one before the Directory came out; but, alas! he was too hopeful. The day of publication arrived, and as yet he had not written a line. He sent word to Bingenburg and Rheinfels, and begged them to wait a month; but they said no, they would wait ten days and no longer.