On
the contrary."
"Oh, well," said poppa, "it's a good thing it isn't undermining your
constitution," but he looked as if it were rather a disappointment.
"The American constitution can stand a lot of transportation," I
remarked. "Railways live on that fact. I've heard you say so yourself,
Senator."
Then there was an interval during which the oars of the gondoliers
dipped musically, and the moon made a golden pathway to the marble steps
of the Palazzo Contarina. Then poppa said, "I refer to the object of our
tour."
"The object of our tour wasn't to undermine my constitution," I replied.
"It was to write a book--don't you remember. But it's some time since
you made any suggestions. If you don't look out, the author of that
volume will practically be momma."
The Senator allowed himself to be diverted. "I think," he said, "you'd
better leave the chapter on Venice to me; you can't just talk anyhow
about this city. I'll write it one of these nights before I go to bed."
"But the main reason," he continued, "that sent us to glide this minute
over the canal system of the Bride of the Adriatic was the necessity of
bracing you up after what you'd been through.
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