st.

I have spoken of the philosopher in his capacity of _restaurateur_. I
would not, however, have any friend of mine imagine that, in
fulfilling his hereditary duties in that line, our hero wanted a
proper estimation of their dignity and importance. Far from it. It
was impossible to say in which branch of his profession he took the
greater pride. In his opinion the powers of the intellect held
intimate connection with the capabilities of the stomach. I am not
sure, indeed, that he greatly disagreed with the Chinese, who hold
that the soul lies in the abdomen. The Greeks at all events were
right, he thought, who employed the same word for the mind and the
diaphragm.[13] By this I do not mean to insinuate a charge of
gluttony, or indeed any other serious charge to the prejudice of the
metaphysician. If Pierre Bon-Bon had his failings--and what great man
has not a thousand?--if Pierre Bon-Bon, I say, had his failings, they
were failings of very little importance--faults indeed which, in other
tempers, have often been looked upon rather in the light of virtues.
As regards one of these foibles, I should not even have mentioned it
in this history but for the remarkable prominency--the extreme _alto
relievo_--in which it jutted out from the plane of his general
disposition. He could never let slip an opportunity of making a
bargain.

[13] [Greek: Phrenes].

Not that he was avaricious--no. It was by no means necessary to the
satisfaction of the philosopher, that the bargain should be to his own
proper advantage. Provided a trade could be effected--a trade of any
kind, upon any terms, or under any circumstances--a triumphant smile
was seen for many days thereafter to enlighten his countenance, and a
knowing wink of the eye to give evidence of his sagacity.

At any epoch it would not be very wonderful if a humour so peculiar
as the one I have just mentioned, should elicit attention and remark.
At the epoch of our narrative, had this peculiarity _not_ attracted
observation, there would have been room for wonder indeed. It was soon
reported that, upon all occasions of the kind, the smile of Bon-Bon
was found to differ widely from the downright grin with which he would
laugh at his own jokes, or welcome an acquaintance. Hints were thrown
out of an exciting nature; stories were told of perilous bargains made
in a hurry and repented of at leisure; and instances were adduced of
unaccountable capacities, vague longings, and u