ons of Phutatorius's purtenance; and so
was naturally, and according to the due course of things, first squeezed
out by the sudden influx of blood which was driven into the right
ventricle of Phutatorius's heart, by the stroke of surprize which so
strange a theory of preaching had excited.

How finely we argue upon mistaken facts!

There was not a soul busied in all these various reasonings upon the
monosyllable which Phutatorius uttered--who did not take this for
granted, proceeding upon it as from an axiom, namely, that Phutatorius's
mind was intent upon the subject of debate which was arising between
Didius and Yorick; and indeed as he looked first towards the one and
then towards the other, with the air of a man listening to what was
going forwards--who would not have thought the same? But the truth
was, that Phutatorius knew not one word or one syllable of what was
passing--but his whole thoughts and attention were taken up with a
transaction which was going forwards at that very instant within the
precincts of his own Galligaskins, and in a part of them, where of
all others he stood most interested to watch accidents: So that
notwithstanding he looked with all the attention in the world, and had
gradually skrewed up every nerve and muscle in his face, to the utmost
pitch the instrument would bear, in order, as it was thought, to give a
sharp reply to Yorick, who sat over-against him--yet, I say, was Yorick
never once in any one domicile of Phutatorius's brain--but the true
cause of his exclamation lay at least a yard below.

This I will endeavour to explain to you with all imaginable decency.

You must be informed then, that Gastripheres, who had taken a turn into
the kitchen a little before dinner, to see how things went on--observing
a wicker-basket of fine chesnuts standing upon the dresser, had ordered
that a hundred or two of them might be roasted and sent in, as soon
as dinner was over--Gastripheres inforcing his orders about them, that
Didius, but Phutatorius especially, were particularly fond of 'em.

About two minutes before the time that my uncle Toby interrupted
Yorick's harangue--Gastripheres's chesnuts were brought in--and as
Phutatorius's fondness for 'em was uppermost in the waiter's head, he
laid them directly before Phutatorius, wrapt up hot in a clean damask
napkin.

Now whether it was physically impossible, with half a dozen hands all
thrust into the napkin at a time--but that some one che