THE SHOES OF FORTUNE

THE SHOES OF FORTUNE,标签：剑桥少儿英语故事,少儿英语小故事,http://www.xuehuiba.com

    With the snake-like writhings of an idea he glided into another female heart； but this seemed to him like a large holy fane.* The white dove of innocence fluttered over the altar. How gladly would he have sunk upon his knees； but he must away to the next heart； yet he still heard the pealing tones of the organ， and he himself seemed to have become a newer and a better man； he felt unworthy to tread the neighboring sanctuary which a poor garret， with a sick bed-rid mother， revealed. But God's warm sun streamed through the open window； lovely roses nodded from the wooden flower-boxes on the roof， and two sky-blue birds sang rejoicingly， while the sick mother implored God's richest blessings on her pious daughter.

    * temple

    He now crept on hands and feet through a butcher's shop； at least on every side， and above and below， there was nought but flesh. It was the heart of a most respectable rich man， whose name is certain to be found in the Directory.

    He was now in the heart of the wife of this worthy gentleman. It was an old， dilapidated， mouldering dovecot. The husband's portrait was used as a weather-cock， which was connected in some way or other with the doors， and so they opened and shut of their own accord， whenever the stern old husband turned round.

    Hereupon he wandered into a boudoir formed entirely of mirrors， like the one in Castle Rosenburg； but here the glasses magnified to an astonishing degree. On the floor， in the middle of the room， sat， like a Dalai-Lama， the insignificant "Self" of the person， quite confounded at his own greatness. He then imagined he had got into a needle-case full of pointed needles of every size.

    "This is certainly the heart of an old maid，" thought he. But he was mistaken. It was the heart of a young military man； a man， as people said， of talent and feeling.

    In the greatest perplexity， he now came out of the last heart in the row； he was unable to put his thoughts in order， and fancied that his too lively imagination had run away with him.

    "Good Heavens！" sighed he. "I have surely a disposition to madness——'tis dreadfully hot here； my blood boils in my veins and my head is burning like a coal." And he now remembered the important event of the evening before， how his head had got jammed in between the iron railings of the hospital. "That's what it is， no doubt，" said he. "I must do something in time： under such circumstances a Russian bath might do me good. I only wish I were already on the upper bank"*

    *In these Russian （vapor） baths the person extends himself on a bank or form， and as he gets accustomed to the heat， moves to another higher up towards the ceiling， where， of course， the vapor is warmest. In this manner he ascends gradually to the highest.

    And so there he lay on the uppermost bank in the vapor-bath； but with all his clothes on， in his boots and galoshes， while the hot drops fell scalding from the ceiling on his face.

    "Holloa！" cried he， leaping down. The bathing attendant， on his side， uttered a loud cry of astonishment when he beheld in the bath， a man completely dressed.

    The other， however， retained sufficient presence of mind to whisper to him， "'Tis a bet， and I have won it！" But the first thing he did as soon as he got home， was to have a large blister put on his chest and back to draw out his madness.

    The next morning he had a sore chest and a bleeding back； and， excepting the fright， that was all that he had gained by the Shoes of Fortune.

    V. Metamorphosis of the Copying-Clerk

    The watchman， whom we have certainly not forgotten， thought meanwhile of the galoshes he had found and taken with him to the hospital； he now went to fetch them； and as neither the lieutenant， nor anybody else in the street， claimed them as his property， they were delivered over to the police-office.*

    * As on the continent， in all law and police practices nothing is verbal， but any circumstance， however trifling， is reduced to writing， the labor， as well as the number of papers that thus accumulate， is enormous. In a police-office， consequently， we find copying-clerks among many other scribes of various denominations， of which， it seems， our hero was one.

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