The quantity, ya ty, and importance of my "finds" brought real rchaeologists to see me. They examined what I had to show, and disagreed among themselves as to dates, So muddled did I become that 1 began to regret having dug them up. At last I got in touch with an authority who, I was told, would solve all my difficulties, It was a wet, cold autumn e: when the "authority and a coffin-shaped lo-car drew up at my door.
On entering the house he proceeded to divest himself of various outer garments. but entered the drawing-room still clad in a large pair of gum-boo's, which he immediately removed, and warmed his feet at the fire. I thought this a very unusual performance, but probably habitual with antiquaries. These operations were followed by his unpacking a very large cigar. This he lighted, and soon having enveloped himself in dense and pungent clouds of smoke, he spoke of things archaeological, his voice issuing forth like some Greek oracle.
In his endeavour. French fashion, to explain what seme of my Roman pots were not, he did no little damage to those near him, and left me with a glue-pot for the rest of the evening. and a feeling that the Romans might very well have stayed at home!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.