and I began to reflect, with anxiety, that in this world it is not
often that the gratification of our angry passions lies in the same
road with the advancement of our interest, and that the wise man, the
_vere sapiens_, seldom hesitates which of these two he ought to
prefer.

I recollected also that I was quite uncertain how far the present usher
had really been guilty of the foul acts of assumption charged against
him.

In a word, I began to perceive that it would be no light matter, at
once, and without maturer perpending of sundry collateral
_punctiuncula_, to break up a joint-stock adventure, or society,
as civilians term it, which, if profitable to him, had at least
promised to be no less so to me, established in years and learning and
reputation so much his superior. Moved by which, and other the like
considerations, I resolved to proceed with becoming caution on the
occasion, and not, by stating my causes of complaint too hastily in the
outset, exasperate into a positive breach what might only prove some
small misunderstanding, easily explained or apologized for, and which,
like a leak in a new vessel, being once discovered and carefully
stopped, renders the vessel but more sea-worthy than it was before.

About the time that I had adopted this healing resolution, I reached
the spot where the almost perpendicular face of a steep hill seems to
terminate the valley, or at least divides it into two dells, each
serving as a cradle to its own mountain-stream, the Gruff-quack, namely,
and the shallower, but more noisy, Gusedub, on the left hand, which, at
their union, form the Gander, properly so called. Each of these little
valleys has a walk winding up to its recesses, rendered more easy by