Wragge, throwing open the wardrobe, and taking a dress down from one of the
pegs.
And then when you read a little further you will discover that the Doctor is not merely a
peg on whom to hang exciting and various adventures but that he is himself a man of original and lively character.
Luckily, he did not lose his head, and set about examining the horse's neck with great care, till at last, to his intense joy, he discovered a tiny little
peg, much smaller than the other, close to the right ear.
He took the
peg switchboard of the telegraph, for in- stance, and developed it to its highest point, to a point that was not even imagined possible by any one else.
Well then, if he be mad, as he is, and with a madness that mostly takes one thing for another, and white for black, and black for white, as was seen when he said the windmills were giants, and the monks' mules dromedaries, flocks of sheep armies of enemies, and much more to the same tune, it will not be very hard to make him believe that some country girl, the first I come across here, is the lady Dulcinea; and if he does not believe it, I'll swear it; and if he should swear, I'll swear again; and if he persists I'll persist still more, so as, come what may, to have my quoit always over the
peg.
A mist dispersed; I saw my life to be forfeit; and fled from the scene of these excesses, at once glorying and trembling, my lust of evil gratified and stimulated, my love of life screwed to the topmost
peg.
Then, on the anniversary of the day on which I had been insulted, I hung my cassock on a
peg, assumed the costume of a cavalier, and went to a ball given by a lady friend of mine and to which I knew my man was invited.
Dantes was occupied in arranging this piece of wood when he heard Faria, who had remained in Edmond's cell for the purpose of cutting a
peg to secure their rope-ladder, call to him in a tone indicative of great suffering.
15} he gave it to the good old woman, who folded it tidily up, and hung it for him over a
peg by his bed side, after which she went out, pulled the door to by a silver catch, and drew the bolt home by means of the strap.
That sneering young cub got taken down a
peg or two on that occasion, and I also seized the opportunity of having a good look at the face of every foremast man as they filed past me to go to the after braces.
Having thus taken them down a
peg in their self-conceit, the next step was to raise myself in their estimation; not a very easy thing, considering that I hardly dared to speak for fear of betraying my own deficiencies.
I did ill to take my bow down from its
peg on the day I led my band of Trojans to Ilius in Hector's service, and if ever I get home again to set eyes on my native place, my wife, and the greatness of my house, may some one cut my head off then and there if I do not break the bow and set it on a hot fire--such pranks as it plays me.
