Things are
also just as easy the other way about. It is a mere question of
making your choice and sticking to it."
He agreed with me.
"Now take these cigars of mine," he said, pushing his open case
towards me.
"Thank you," I replied hurriedly, "I'm not smoking this passage."
"Don't be alarmed," he answered, "I meant merely as an argument.
Now one of these would make you wretched for a week."
I admitted his premise.
"Very well," he continued. "Now I, as you know, smoke them all day
long, and enjoy them. Why? Because I have got into the habit.
Years ago, when I was a young man, I smoked expensive Havanas. I
found that I was ruining myself. It was absolutely necessary that
I should take a cheaper weed. I was living in Belgium at the time,
and a friend showed me these. I don't know what they are--probably
cabbage leaves soaked in guano; they tasted to me like that at
first--but they were cheap. Buying them by the five hundred, they
cost me three a penny. I determined to like them, and started with
one a day. It was terrible work, I admit, but as I said to myself,
nothing could be worse than the Havanas themselves had been in the
beginning.
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