silk robe-de-chambre, and the soft, downy tread of my velvet slippers
on the smooth turf. It was a delicious moment! the very birds seemed to
sing a little paean of rejoicing at my good luck; the flowers put forth
their sweetest odors as I passed; and I felt myself in ecstasy with the
whole creation, and in particular with that segment of it called Con
Cregan. And there be folk in this world would call this egotism and
vanity; ay, and by worse names too! As if it was not the very purest
philanthropy--as if my self-content did not spring from the calm
assurance that the goods of fortune were bestowed in the right
direction, and that the goddess whom men call "fickle" was in reality a
most discriminating deity!

There are no two things in creation less alike than a rich man and a
poor one! Not only do all their thoughts, feelings, and affections run
in opposite channels, but their judgments are different; and from the
habit of presenting particular aspects to the world, they come at last
to conform to the impressions conceived of them by the public. The
eccentricities of wealth are exalted into fashions,--the peculiarities
of poverty are degraded to downright vices.

"Oh, glorious metal!" exclaimed I, as I walked along, "that smooths
the roughest road of life, that makes the toughest venison savory, and
renders the rudest associates civil and compliant, what insolence and
contumely had I not met with here, in this poor 'Posada,' had I only
been what my humble dress and mean exterior denoted; and now, what is
there that I cannot exact, what demands can I make, and hear that they
are impossible!"

"His Excellency's dinner is served," said the host, as he advanced, with
many a low and obsequious salutation, to announce my dinner.

I suppose that the cookery of the "Mono" was not of the very highest
order, and that if presented before me now, it would meet but sorry
acceptance from my more educated palate; but at the time I speak of,
it seemed actually delicious. There appeared to arise faint odors, of
savory import, from dishes whose garlic would now almost suffocate me,
and I luxuriated in the flavor of wine, every glass of which would, at
this day, have put my teeth on edge. If my enjoyment was great, however,
I took care not to let it appear too palpable; on the contrary, I
criticised and condemned with all the fastidiousness of a spoiled
nature, and only condescended to taste anything on the perpetual
assurance of