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A　dictionary　would　spoil　it。　　Sometimes　a　single　word　of　doubtful

purport　will　cast　a　veil　of　dreamy　and　golden　uncertainty　over　a

whole　paragraph　of　cold　and　practical　certainties；　and　leave　steeped

in　a　haunting　and　adorable　mystery　an　incident　which　had　been　vulgar

and　commonplace　but　for　that　benefaction。　　Would　you　be　wise　to　draw

a　dictionary　on　that　gracious　word？　would　you　be　properly　grateful？



After　a　couple　of　days'　rest　I　now　come　back　to　my　subject　and　seek

a　case　in　point。　　I　find　it　without　trouble；　in　the　morning　paper；

a　cablegram　from　Chicago　and　Indiana　by　way　of　Paris。　　All　the　words

save　one　are　guessable　by　a　person　ignorant　of　Italian：





Revolverate　in　teatro





PARIGI；　27。La　PATRIE　ha　da　Chicago：



Il　guardiano　del　teatro　dell'opera　di　Walace　（Indiana）；　avendo　voluto

espellare　uno　spettatore　che　continuava　a　fumare　malgrado　il　diviety；

questo　spalleggiato　dai　suoi　amici　tir‘o　diversi　colpi　di　rivoltella。　

Il　guardiano　ripose。　　Nacque　una　scarica　generale。　　Grande　panico

tra　gli　spettatori。　　Nessun　ferito。





TRANSLATION。〃Revolveration　in　Theater。　　PARIS；　27TH。　　LA　PATRIE

has　from　Chicago：　　The　cop　of　the　theater　of　the　opera　of　Wallace；

Indiana；　had　willed　to　expel　a　spectator　which　continued　to　smoke

in　spite　of　the　prohibition；　who；　spalleggiato　by　his　friends；

tir'o　（Fr。　TIR'E；　Anglice　PULLED）　manifold　revolver…shots；

great　panic　among　the　spectators。　　Nobody　hurt。〃



It　is　bettable　that　that　harmless　cataclysm　in　the　theater　of　the　opera

of　Wallace；　Indiana；　excited　not　a　person　in　Europe　but　me；　and　so

came　near　to　not　being　worth　cabling　to　Florence　by　way　of　France。　

But　it　does　excite　me。　　It　excites　me　because　I　cannot　make　out；

for　sure；　what　it　was　that　moved　the　spectator　to　resist　the　officer。　

I　was　gliding　along　smoothly　and　without　obstruction　or　accident；

until　I　came　to　that　word　〃spalleggiato；〃　then　the　bottom　fell　out。　

You　notice　what　a　rich　gloom；　what　a　somber　and　pervading　mystery；

that　word　sheds　all　over　the　whole　Wallachian　tragedy。　　That　is　the　charm

of　the　thing；　that　is　the　delight　of　it。　　This　is　where　you　begin；

this　is　where　you　revel。　　You　can　guess　and　guess；　and　have　all

the　fun　you　like；　you　need　not　be　afraid　there　will　be　an　end　to　it；

none　is　possible；　for　no　amount　of　guessing　will　ever　furnish　you

a　meaning　for　that　word　that　you　can　be　sure　is　the　right　one。　

All　the　other　words　give　you　hints；　by　their　form；　their　sound；

or　their　spellingthis　one　doesn't；　this　one　throws　out　no　hints；

this　one　keeps　its　secret。　　If　there　is　even　the　slightest　slight

shadow　of　a　hint　anywhere；　it　lies　in　the　very　meagerly　suggestive

fact　that　〃spalleggiato〃　carries　our　word　〃egg〃　in　its　stomach。　

Well；　make　the　most　out　of　it；　and　then　where　are　you　at？　

You　conjecture　that　the　spectator　which　was　smoking　in　spite

of　the　prohibition　and　become　reprohibited　by　the　guardians；

was　〃egged　on〃　by　his　friends；　and　that　was　owing　to　that　evil

influence　that　he　initiated　the　revolveration　in　theater　that　has

galloped　under　the　sea　and　come　crashing　through　the　European

press　without　exciting　anybody　but　me。　　But　are　you　sure；

are　you　dead　sure；　that　that　was　the　way　of　it？　　No。　Then　the

uncertainty　remains；　the　mystery　abides；　and　with　it　the　charm。　

Guess　again。



If　I　had　a　phrase…book　of　a　really　satisfactory　sort　I　would

study　it；　and　not　give　all　my　free　time　to　undictionarial　readings；

but　there　is　no　such　work　on　the　market。　　The　existing　phrase…books

are　inadequate。　　They　are　well　enough　as　far　as　they　go；　but　when

you　fall　down　and　skin　your　leg　they　don't　tell　you　what　to　say。