"
He was accustomed to this menace. I was silent. He began immediately
to roll up my shadow. I turned pale, but I let it proceed. There
followed a long pause; he first broke it.
"You cannot bear me, sir. You hate me; I know it; yet why do you
hate me? Is it because you attacked me on the highway, and sought to
deprive me by violence of my bird's nest? Or is it because you have
endeavored, in a thievish manner, to cheat me out of my property, the
shadow, which was intrusted to you entirely on your honor? I, for my
part, do not hate you in spite of all this. I find it quite natural
that you should seek to avail yourself of all your advantages,
cunning, and power. Neither do I object to your very strict principles
and to your fancy to think like honesty itself. In fact, I think not
so strictly as you; I merely act as you think. Or have I at any time
pressed my finger on your throat in order to bring to me your most
precious soul, for which I have a fancy? Have I, on account of my
bartered purse, let a servant loose on you? Have I sought to swindle
you out of it?" I had nothing to oppose to this, and he proceeded:
"Very good, sir! very good! You cannot endure me; I know that very
well, and am by no means angry with you for it. We must part, that is
clear, and, in fact, you begin to be very wearisome to me. In order,
then, to rid you of my continued, shame-inspiring presence, I counsel
you once more to purchase this thing from me.
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