Egotism; or, The Bosom Serpent

           "Herehecomes!"shoutedtheboysalongthestreet."Herecomesthemanwithasnakeinhisbosom!"

           Thisoutcry,salutingHerkimer’searsashewasabouttoentertheirongateoftheEllistonmansion,madehimpause.Itwasnotwithoutashudderthathefoundhimselfonthepointofmeetinghisformeracquaintance,whomhehadknowninthegloryofyouth,andwhomnowafteranintervaloffiveyears,hewastofindthevictimeitherofadiseasedfancyorahorriblephysicalmisfortune.

           "Asnakeinhisbosom!"repeatedtheyoungsculptortohimself."Itmustbehe.Nosecondmanonearthhassuchabosomfriend.Andnow,mypoorRosina,Heavengrantmewisdomtodischargemyerrandaright!Woman’sfaithmustbestrongindeedsincethinehasnotyetfailed."

           Thusmusing,hetookhisstandattheentranceofthegateandwaiteduntilthepersonagesosingularlyannouncedshouldmakehisappearance.Afteraninstantortwohebeheldthefigureofaleanman,ofunwholesomelook,withglitteringeyesandlongblackhair,whoseemedtoimitatethemotionofasnake;for,insteadofwalkingstraightforwardwithopenfront,heundulatedalongthepavementinacurvedline.Itmaybetoofancifultosaythatsomething,eitherinhismoralormaterialaspect,suggestedtheideathatamiraclehadbeenwroughtbytransformingaserpentintoaman,butsoimperfectlythatthesnakynaturewasyethidden,andscarcelyhidden,underthemereoutwardguiseofhumanity.