the young man john asked me to come up one day and try some “old burbon,” which he said was a 1. on asking him what was the number of his room, he answered, that it was forty-’leven, sky-parlor floor, but that i shouldn’t find it, if he didn’t go ahead to show me the way. i followed him to his habitat, being very willing to see in what kind of warren he burrowed, and thinking i might pick up something about the boarders who had excited my curiosity.
the young man john fell into a train of reflections which ended in his producing a bologna sausage, a plate of “crackers,” as we boston folks call certain biscuits, and the bottle of whiskey described as being a 1.
under the influence of the crackers and sausage, he grew cordial and communicative.
it was time, i thought, to sound him as to our boarders.
what do you think of our young iris?——i began.
fust-rate little filly;——he said.——pootiest and nicest little chap i’ve seen since the schoolma’am left. schoolma’am was a brown-haired one,——eyes coffee-color. this one has got wine-colored eyes,——’n’ that’s the reason they turn a fellah’s head, i suppose.
[30]
this is a splendid blonde,——i said,——the other was a brunette. which style do you like best?
which do i like best, boiled mutton or roast mutton?——said the young man john. like ’em both,——it a’n’t the color of ’em makes the goodness. i’ve been kind of lonely since schoolma’am went away. used to like to look at her. i never said anything particular to her, that i remember, but——
i don’t know whether it was the cracker and sausage, or that the young fellow’s feet were treading on the hot ashes of some longing that had not had time to cool, but his eye glistened as he stopped.
i suppose she wouldn’t have looked at a fellah like me,——he said,——but i come pretty near tryin’. if she had said, yes, though, i shouldn’t have known what to have done with her. can’t marry a woman nowadays till you’re so deaf you have to cock your head like a parrot to hear what she says, and so long-sighted you can’t see what she looks like nearer than arm’s-length.
here is another chance for you,——i said.——what do you want nicer than such a young lady as iris?
it’s no use,——he answered.——i look at them girls and feel as the fellah did when he missed catchin’ the trout.——’to’od ’a’ cost more butter to cook him ’n’ he’s worth,——says the fellah.——takes a whole piece o’ goods to cover a girl up nowadays. i’d as lief undertake to keep a span of elephants,——and take an ostrich to board, too,——as to marry one of ’em. what’s the use? clerks and counter-jumpers a’n’t anything. sparragrass and green peas a’n’t for them,——not while they’re young and tender. hossback-ridin’ a’n’t for them,——except[31] once a year,——on fast-day. and marryin’ a’n’t for them. sometimes a fellah feels lonely, and would like to have a nice young woman, to tell her how lonely he feels. and sometimes a fellah,——here the young man john looked very confidential, and, perhaps, as if a little ashamed of his weakness,——sometimes a fellah would like to have one o’ them small young ones to trot on his knee and push about in a little wagon,——a kind of a little johnny, you know;——it’s odd enough, but, it seems to me, nobody can afford them little articles, except the folks that are so rich they can buy everything, and the folks that are so poor they don’t want anything. it makes nice boys of us young fellahs, no doubt! and it’s pleasant to see fine young girls sittin’, like shopkeepers behind their goods, waitin’, and waitin’, and waitin’, ’n’ no customers,——and the men lingerin’ round and lookin’ at the goods, like folks that want to be customers, but haven’t got the money!
do you think the deformed gentleman means to make love to iris?——i said.
what! little boston ask that girl to marry him! well, now, that’s comin’ of it a little too strong. yes, i guess she will marry him and carry him round in a basket, like a lame bantam! look here!——he said, mysteriously;——one of the boarders swears there’s a woman comes to see him, and that he has heard her singin’ and screechin’. i should like to know what he’s about in that den of his. he lays low ’n’ keeps dark,——and, i tell you, there’s a good many of the boarders would like to get into his chamber, but he don’t seem to want ’em. biddy could tell somethin’ about what[32] she’s seen when she’s been to put his room to rights. she’s a paddy ’n’ a fool, but she knows enough to keep her tongue still. all i know is, i saw her crossin’ herself one day when she came out of that room. she looked pale enough, ’n’ i heard her mutterin’ somethin’ or other about the blessed virgin. if it hadn’t been for the double doors to that chamber of his, i’d have had a squint inside before this; but, somehow or other, it never seems to happen that they’re both open at once.
what do you think he employs himself about?——said i.
the young man john winked.
i waited patiently for the thought, of which this wink was the blossom, to come to fruit in words.
i don’t believe in witches,——said the young man john.
nor i.
we were both silent for a few minutes.
——did you ever see the young girl’s drawing-books,——i said, presently.
all but one,——he answered;——she keeps a lock on that, and won’t show it. ma’am allen (the young rogue sticks to that name, in speaking of the gentleman with the diamond), ma’am allen tried to peek into it one day when she left it on the sideboard. “if you please,” says she,——’n’ took it from him, ’n’ gave him a look that made him curl up like a caterpillar on a hot shovel. i only wished he hadn’t, and had jest given her a little saas, for i’ve been takin’ boxin’-lessons, ’n’[33] i’ve got a new way of counterin’ i want to try on to somebody.
——the end of all this was, that i came away from the young fellow’s room, feeling that there were two principal things that i had to live for, for the next six weeks or six months, if it should take so long. these were, to get a sight of the young girl’s drawing-book, which i suspected had her heart shut up in it, and to get a look into the little gentleman’s room.
i don’t doubt you think it rather absurd that i should trouble myself about these matters. you tell me, with some show of reason, that all i shall find in the young girl’s book will be some outlines of angels with immense eyes, traceries of flowers, rural sketches, and caricatures, among which i shall probably have the pleasure of seeing my own features figuring. very likely. but i’ll tell you what i think i shall find. if this child has idealized the strange little bit of humanity over which she seems to have spread her wings like a brooding dove,——if, in one of those wild vagaries that passionate natures are so liable to, she has fairly sprung upon him with her clasping nature, as the sea-flowers fold about the first stray shell-fish that brushes their outspread tentacles, depend upon it, i shall find the marks of it in this drawing-book of hers,——if i can ever get a look at it,——fairly, of course, for i would not play tricks to satisfy my curiosity.
then, if i can get into this little gentleman’s room under any fair pretext, i shall, no doubt, satisfy myself in five minutes that he is just like other people, and that there is no particular mystery about him.
