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Toad’s Adventures
Thechaffandthehumouroussalliestowhichhewassubjected,andtowhich,ofcourse,hehadtoprovidepromptandeffectivereply,formed,indeed,hischiefdanger;forToadwasananimalwithastrongsenseofhisowndignity,andthechaffwasmostly(hethought)poorandclumsy,andthehumourofthesalliesentirelylacking.However,hekepthistemper,thoughwithgreatdifficulty,suitedhisretortstohiscompanyandhissupposedcharacter,anddidhisbestnottooverstepthelimitsofgoodtaste.
Itseemedhoursbeforehecrossedthelastcourtyard,rejectedthepressinginvitationsfromthelastguardroom,anddodgedtheoutspreadarmsofthelastwarder,pleadingwithsimulatedpassionforjustonefarewellembrace.Butatlastheheardthewicket-gateinthegreatouterdoorclickbehindhim,feltthefreshairoftheouterworlduponhisanxiousbrow,andknewthathewasfree!
Dizzywiththeeasysuccessofhisdaringexploit,hewalkedquicklytowardsthelightsofthetown,notknowingintheleastwhatheshoulddonext,onlyquitecertainofonething,thathemustremovehimselfasquicklyaspossiblefromtheneighbourhoodwheretheladyhewasforcedtorepresentwassowell-knownandsopopularacharacter.
Ashewalkedalong,considering,hisattentionwascaughtbysomeredandgreenlightsalittlewayoff,toonesideofthetown,andthesoundofthepuffingandsnortingofenginesandthebangingofshuntedtrucksfellonhisear.
