der his nose."

"Capital!" cried Paula; and as Gibbus turned away, laughing to himself,
the physician said:

"One might almost envy the man his hump. But yet, fair Paula, I think
we have some straight-limbed folks who can make use of such crooked
phrases, too, when occasion serves."

But Rufinus spoke before Paula could reply, referring her to his Essay
on the deformed in soul and body; and then he went on vehemently:

"I call you all to witness, does not Baste, the lame woman, restrict her
views to the lower aspect of things, to the surface of the earth indeed?
She has one leg much shorter than the other, and it is only with much
pains that we have contrived that it should carry her. To limp along
at all she is forced always to look down at the ground, and what is the
consequence? She can never tell you what is hanging to a tree, and
about three weeks since I asked her under a clear sky and a waning moon
whether the moon had been shining the evening before and she could not
tell me, though she had been sitting out of doors with the others
till quite late, evening after evening. I have noticed, too, that she
scarcely recognizes men who are rather tall, though she may have seen
them three or four times. Her standard has fallen short-like her leg.
Now, am I right or wrong?"

"In this instance you are right," replied Philippus, "still, I know some
lame people..."

And again words ran high between the friends; Pulcheria, however, put an
end to the discussion this time, by exclaiming enthusiastically:

"Baste is the best and most good-natured soul in the whole house!"

"Because she looks into her own heart," replied Rufinus. "She knows
herself; and, because she knows how painful pain is, she treats others
tenderly. Do you remember, Philippus, how we disputed after that
anatomical lecture we heard together at Caesarea?"

"Perfectly well," said the leech, "and later life has but confirmed the
opinion I then held. There is no less true or less just saying than the
Latin motto: 'Mens sana in corpore sano,' as it is generally interpreted
to mean that a healthy soul is only to be found in a healthy body. As
the expression of a wish it may pass, but I have often felt inclined to
doubt even that. It has been my lot to meet with a strength of mind,
a hopefulness, and a thankfulness for the smallest mercies in the
sickliest bodies, and at the same time a delicacy of feeling, a wise
reserve, and an undeviating devotion to lof