I would rather worship this
flask of wine any day, than worship the best saint on your
parsons' books."
As Filippo was no casuist, but merely a believer, and Ithuel applied the
end of the flask to his mouth, at that moment, from an old habit of
drinking out of jugs and bottles, the Genoese made no answer; keeping
his eyes on the flask, which, by the length of time it remained at the
other's mouth, appeared to be in great danger of being exhausted; a
matter of some moment to one of his own relish for the liquor.
"Do you call _this_ wine!" exclaimed Ithuel, when he stopped literally
to take breath; "there isn't as much true granite in a gallon on't as in
a pint of our cider. I could swallow a butt, and then walk a plank as
narrow as your religion, Philip-o!"
This was said, nevertheless, with a look of happiness which proved how
much the inward man was consoled by what it had received, and a richness
of expression about the handsome mouth, that denoted a sort of
consciousness that it had been the channel of a most agreeable
communication to the stomach. Sooth to say, Benedetta had brought up a
flask at a paul, or at about four cents a bottle; a flask of the very
quality which she had put before the vice-governatore; and this was a
liquor that flowed so smoothly over the palate, and of a quality so
really delicate, that Ithuel was by no means aware of the potency of the
guest which he had admitted to his interior.
All this time the vice-governatore was making up his mind concerning the
nation and character of the stranger.
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