YoucannotforgetwhoNumberSevenisifIinformyouthathespeciallyprideshimselfonbeingaseventhsonofaseventhson。
Thefactofsuchadescentissupposedtocarrywonderfulendowmentswithit。NumberSevenpassesforanaturalhealer。Heislookeduponasakindofwizard,andisluckyinlivinginthenineteenthcenturyinsteadofthesixteenthorearlier。Howmuchconfidencehefeelsinhimselfasthepossessorofhalf—supernaturalgiftsIcannotsay。Ithinkhispeculiarbirthrightgiveshimacertainconfidenceinhiswhimsandfancieswhichbutforthathewouldhardlyfeel。
Afterthisexplanation,whenIspeakofNumberFiveorNumberSeven,youwillknowtowhomIrefer。
Thecompanyareveryfrankintheircriticismsofeachother。\"Ididnotlikethatexpressionofyours,planetaryfoundlings,\"saidtheMistress。\"ItseemstomethatitistoolikeatheismforagoodChristianlikeyoutouse。\"
Ah,mydearmadam,Ianswered,Iwasthinkingoftheelementsandthenaturalforcestowhichmanwasbornanalmosthelplesssubjectintherudimentarystagesofhisexistence,andfromwhichhehasonlypartiallygotfreeafteragesuponagesofwarfarewiththeirtyranny。Thinkwhathungerforcedthecavemantodo！Thinkofthesurlyindifferenceofthestormsthatswepttheforestandthewaters,theearthquakechasmsthatengulfedhim,theinundationsthatdrownedhimoutofhismiserablehiding—places,thepestilencesthatlayinwaitforhim,theunequalstrifewithferociousanimals！