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Short Stories for English Courses by Unknown
page 117 of 493 (23%)
very passable SKULL,--indeed, I may say that it is a very
EXCELLENT skull, according to the vulgar notions about such
specimens of physiology--and your scarabaeus must be the queerest
scarabaeus in the world if it resembles it. Why, we may get up a
very thrilling bit of superstition upon this hint. I presume you
will call the bug scarabaeus caput hominis, or something of that
kind--there are many similar titles in the Natural Histories. But
where are the antennae you spoke of?"

"The antennae!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting
unaccountably warm upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the
antennae. I made them as distinct as they are in the original
insect, and I presume that is sufficient."

"Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have--still I don't see them;"
and I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing
to ruffle his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs
had taken; his ill humor puzzled me--and, as for the drawing of
the beetle, there were positively NO antennae visible, and the
whole DID bear a very close resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a
death's-head.

He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it,
apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the
design seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his
face grew violently red--in another as excessively pale. For some
minutes he continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he
sat. At length he arose, took a candle from the table, and
proceeded to seat himself upon a sea-chest in the farthest corner
of the room. Here again he made an anxious examination of the
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