"But," added he, "the truth is, that for several months I have been following a most abstemious régime, living almost entirely on vegetables; and now that I see a good dinner, I cannot resist temptation, though to-morrow I shall suffer for my gourmandize, as I always do when I indulge in luxuries." He drank a few glasses of champagne, saying, that as he considered it a jour de fête, he would eat, drink, and be merry.
He talked of Mr. - who was then our Minister at Genoa. "H-," said he, " is a thorough good-natured and hospitable man, keeps an excellent table, and is as fond of good things as I am, but has not my forbearance. I received some time ago, a pâté de Perigord, and finding it excellent, I determined on sharing it with H-; but here my natural selfishness suggested that it would be wiser for me, who had so few dainties, to keep this for myself, than to give it to H-, who had so many. After half an hour's debate between selfishness and generosity, which do you think (turning to me) carried the point?" - I answered, "Generosity, of course."- "No, by Jove!" said he, "no such thing; selfishness in this case, as in most others, triumphed: I sent the pâté to my friend H-, because I felt that another dinner of it would play the deuce with me; and so you see, after all, he
