Hardly less constantly in autumn," he added. "And in winter,
often for weeks on end."
"Sounds promising," observed the bishop. "And has it no influence on
the character?"
"The native is accustomed, or resigned. Foreigners, sometimes, are
tempted to strange actions under its influence."
The American said:
"You spoke of amalgamating our cuisine with yours, or vice versa. It
can doubtless be done, to the profit of both parties. Why not go a step
further? Why not amalgamate our respective civilizations?"
"A pleasant dream, my friend, with which I have occasionally beguiled
myself! Our contribution to human happiness, and that of America--are
they not irreconcilable? What is yours? Comfort, time and labour saving
contrivances; abundance; in a word, all that is summed up under the
denomination of utility. Ours, let us say, is beauty. No doubt we could
saturate ourselves with each other's ideals, to our mutual advantage.
But it would never be an amalgam; the joints would show. It would be a
successful graft, rather than a fusion of elements.
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