I respected Titbottom more than ever.
"Do you know," said he, after a long pause, "that I fancy my castles
lie just beyond those distant hills. At all events, I can see them
distinctly from their summits."
He smiled quietly as he spoke, and it was then I asked:
"But, Titbottom, have you never discovered the way to them?"
"Dear me! yes," answered he, "I know the way well enough; but it would
do no good to follow it. I should give out before I arrived. It is a
long and difficult journey for a man of my years and habits--and
income," he added slowly.
As he spoke he seated himself upon the ground; and while he pulled
long blades of grass, and, putting them between his thumbs, whistled
shrilly, he said:
"I have never known but two men who reached their estates in Spain."
"Indeed!" said I, "how did they go?"
"One went over the side of a ship, and the other out of a third story
window," said Titbottom, fitting a broad blade between his thumbs and
blowing a demoniacal blast.
"And I know one proprietor who resides upon his estates constantly,"
continued he.
"Who is that?"
"Our old friend Slug, whom you may see any day at the asylum, just
coming in from the hunt, or going to call upon his friend the Grand
Lama, or dressing for the wedding of the Man in the Moon, or receiving
an ambassador from Timbuctoo.
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