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Condensed Novels: New Burlesques by Bret Harte
page 71 of 123 (57%)
clothing himself."

"I should never accuse YOU of levity, Mr. Lummox," said the young
lady, gazing thoughtfully upon his calm but somewhat heavy
features,--"never."

Yet he would have liked to reclaim himself by a show of lightness.
He was leaning on the rail looking at the sea. The scene was
beautiful.

"I suppose," he said, rolling with the sea and his early studies of
Doctor Johnson, "that one would in the more superior manner show
his appreciation of all this by refraining from the obvious comment
which must needs be recognized as comparatively commonplace and
vulgar; but really this is so superb that I must express some of my
emotion, even at the risk of lowering your opinion of my good
taste, provided, of course, that you have any opinion on the one
hand or any good taste on the other."

"Without that undue depreciation of one's self which must ever be a
sign of self-conscious demerit," said the young girl lightly, "I
may say that I am not generally good at Johnsonese; but it may
relieve your mind to know that had you kept silence one instant
longer, I should have taken the risk of lowering your opinion of my
taste, provided, of course, that you have one to lower and are
capable of that exertion--if such indeed it may be termed--by
remarking that this is perfectly magnificent."

"Do you think," he said gloomily, still leaning on the rail, "that
we can keep this kind of thing up--perhaps I should say down--much
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