it.

--That was neatly done. How I hate writing such things! But I suppose I
must do it.

VIII

The Master and I had been thinking for some time of trying to get the
Young Astronomer round to our side of the table. There are many subjects
on which both of us like to talk with him, and it would be convenient
to have him nearer to us. How to manage it was not quite so clear as it
might have been. The Scarabee wanted to sit with his back to the light,
as it was in his present position. He used his eyes so much in studying
minute objects, that he wished to spare them all fatigue, and did not
like facing a window. Neither of us cared to ask the Man of Letters, so
called, to change his place, and of course we could not think of making
such a request of the Young Girl or the Lady. So we were at a stand with
reference to this project of ours.

But while we were proposing, Fate or Providence disposed everything
for us. The Man of Letters, so called, was missing one morning, having
folded his tent--that is, packed his carpet-bag--with the silence of the
Arabs, and encamped--that is, taken lodgings--in some locality which he
had forgotten to indicate.

The Landlady bore this sudden bereavement remarkably well. Her remarks
and reflections; though borrowing the aid of homely imagery and doing
occasional violence to the nicer usages of speech, were not without
philosophical discrimination.

--I like a gentleman that is a gentleman. But there's a difference in
what folks call gentlemen as there is in what you put on table. There is
cabbages and there is cauliflowers. There is clams and there is oysters.
There is mackerel and there is salmon. And there is some that knows
the difference and some that doos n't. I had a little account with that
boarder that he forgot to settle before he went off, so all of a suddin.
I sha'n't say anything about it. I've seen the time when I should have
felt bad about losing what he owed me, but it was no great matter; and
if he 'll only stay away now he 's gone, I can stand losing it, and not
cry my eyes out nor lay awake all night neither. I never had ought to
have took him. Where he come from and where he's gone to is unbeknown to
me. If he'd only smoked good tobacco, I wouldn't have said a word; but
it was such dreadful stuff, it 'll take a week to get his chamber sweet
enough to show them that asks for rooms. It doos smell like all possest.

--Left any goods?--asked the Salesman.

--Or