ve composed by
Ursus:--

"Here is to be seen Gwynplaine, deserted at the age of ten, on the night
of the 29th of January, 1690, by the villainous Comprachicos, on the
coast of Portland. The little boy has grown up, and is called now, THE
LAUGHING MAN."

The existence of these mountebanks was as an existence of lepers in a
leper-house, and of the blessed in one of the Pleiades. There was every
day a sudden transition from the noisy exhibition outside, into the most
complete seclusion. Every evening they made their exit from this world.
They were like the dead, vanishing on condition of being reborn next
day. A comedian is a revolving light, appearing one moment, disappearing
the next, and existing for the public but as a phantom or a light, as
his life circles round. To exhibition succeeded isolation. When the
performance was finished, whilst the audience were dispersing, and their
murmur of satisfaction was dying away in the streets, the Green Box shut
up its platform, as a fortress does its drawbridge, and all
communication with mankind was cut off. On one side, the universe; on
the other, the caravan; and this caravan contained liberty, clear
consciences, courage, devotion, innocence, happiness, love--all the
constellations.

Blindness having sight and deformity beloved sat side by side, hand
pressing hand, brow touching brow, and whispered to each other,
intoxicated with love.

The compartment in the middle served two purposes--for the public it was
a stage, for the actors a dining-room.

Ursus, ever delighting in comparisons, profited by the diversity of its
uses to liken the central compartment in the Green Box to the arradach
in an Abyssinian hut.

Ursus counted the receipts, then they supped. In love all is ideal. In
love, eating and drinking together affords opportunities for many sweet
promiscuous touches, by which a mouthful becomes a kiss. They drank ale
or wine from the same glass, as they might drink dew out of the same
lily. Two souls in love are as full of grace as two birds. Gwynplaine
waited on Dea, cut her bread, poured out her drink, approached her too
close.

"Hum!" cried Ursus, and he turned away, his scolding melting into a
smile.

The wolf supped under the table, heedless of everything which did
actually not concern his bone.

Fibi and Vinos shared the repast, but gave little trouble. These
vagabonds, half wild and as uncouth as ever, spoke in the gipsy language
to each other.

At