The notary's nose;

82 THE NOTARY'S NOSE.
before his eyes, he grew pale, felt faint,
and fell upon a chair in a sort of swoon.
A few drops of diluted vinaigre restored
his senses, but not his resolution.
"There's no use thinking about it any
more," said he, arranging his clothes.
( Our generation has all sorts of courage,
but it is weak before suffering. It's the
fault of our parents, who brought us up
wrapped in cotton."
A few minutes later this young man,
imbued with the most religious principles,
began to blaspheme against Providence.
"Indeed," he cried, "this world is a
lovely bear-garden; I congratulate the
Creator on it. I have two hundred thousand francs income, and here I am as flatnosed as a skull; while my porter, who
has not two crowns in the world, has the
nose of the Apollo Belvedere. Omniscience, which has foreseen everything, has
not foreseen that I should have my nose