_ CHAPTER XIV. HARD SPEECHES AND HIGH TEMPER
Dr. Sevier found occasion, one morning, to speak at some length, and very harshly, to his book-keeper. He had hardly ceased when John Richling came briskly in.
"Doctor," he said, with great buoyancy, "how do you do?"
The physician slightly frowned.
"Good-morning, Mr. Richling."
Richling was tamed in an instant; but, to avoid too great a contrast of manner, he retained a semblance of sprightliness, as he said:--
"This is the first time I have had this pleasure since you were last at our house, Doctor."
"Did you not see me one evening, some time ago, in the omnibus?" asked Dr. Sevier.
"Why, no," replied the other, with returning pleasure; "was I in the same omnibus?"
"You were on the sidewalk."
"No-o," said Richling, pondering. "I've seen you in your carriage several times, but you"--
"I didn't see you."
Richling was stung. The conversation failed. He recommenced it in a tone pitched intentionally too low for the alert ear of Narcisse.
"Doctor, I've simply called to say to you that I'm out of work and looking for employment again."
"Um--hum," said the Doctor, with a cold fulness of voice that hurt Richling afresh. "You'll find it hard to get anything this time of year," he continued, with no attempt at undertone; "it's very hard for anybody to get anything these days, even when well recommended."
Richling smiled an instant. The Doctor did not, but turned partly away to his desk, and added, as if the smile had displeased him:--
"Well, maybe you'll not find it so."
Richling turned fiery red.
"Whether I do or not," he said, rising, "my affairs sha'n't trouble anybody. Good-morning!"
He started out.
"How's Mrs. Richling?" asked the Doctor.
"She's well," responded Richling, putting on his hat and disappearing in the corridor. Each footstep could be heard as he went down the stairs.
"He's a fool!" muttered the physician.
He looked up angrily, for Narcisse stood before him.
"Well, Doctah," said the Creole, hurriedly arranging his coat-collar, and drawing his handkerchief, "I'm goin' ad the poss-office."
"See here, sir!" exclaimed the Doctor, bringing his fist down upon the arm of his chair, "every time you've gone out of this office for the last six months you've told me you were going to the post-office; now don't you ever tell me that again!"
The young man bowed with injured dignity and responded:--
"All a-ight, seh."
He overtook Richling just outside the street entrance. Richling had halted there, bereft of intention, almost of outward sense, and choking with bitterness. It seemed to him as if in an instant all his misfortunes, disappointments, and humiliations, that never before had seemed so many or so great, had been gathered up into the knowledge of that hard man upstairs, and, with one unmerciful downward wrench, had received his seal of approval. Indignation, wrath, self-hatred, dismay, in undefined confusion, usurped the faculties of sight and hearing and motion.
"Mistoo Itchlin," said Narcisse, "I 'ope you fine you'seff O.K., seh, if you'll egscuse the slang expwession."
Richling started to move away, but checked himself.
"I'm well, sir, thank you, sir; yes, sir, I'm very well."
"I billieve you, seh. You ah lookin' well."
Narcisse thrust his hands into his pockets, and turned upon the outer sides of his feet, the embodiment of sweet temper. Richling found him a wonderful relief at the moment. He quit gnawing his lip and winking into vacancy, and felt a malicious good-humor run into all his veins.
"I dunno 'ow 'tis, Mistoo Itchlin," said Narcisse, "but I muz tell you the tooth; you always 'ave to me the appe'ance ligue the chile of p'ospe'ity."
"Eh?" said Richling, hollowing his hand at his ear,--"child of"--
"P'ospe'ity?"
"Yes--yes," replied the deaf man vaguely, "I--have a relative of that name."
"Oh!" exclaimed the Creole, "thass good faw luck! Mistoo Itchlin, look' like you a lil mo' hawd to yeh--but egscuse me. I s'pose you muz be advancing in business, Mistoo Itchlin. I say I s'pose you muz be gittin' along!"
"I? Yes; yes, I must."
He started.
"I'm 'appy to yeh it!" said Narcisse.
His innocent kindness was a rebuke. Richling began to offer a cordial parting salutation, but Narcisse said:--
"You goin' that way? Well, I kin go that way."
They went.
"I was goin' ad the poss-office, but"--he waved his hand and curled his lip. "Mistoo Itchlin, in fact, if you yeh of something suitable to me I would like to yeh it. I am not satisfied with that pless yondeh with Doctah Seveeah. I was compel this mawnin', biffo you came in, to 'epoove 'im faw 'is 'oodness. He called me a jackass, in fact. I woon allow that. I 'ad to 'epoove 'im. 'Doctah Seveeah,' says I, 'don't you call me a jackass ag'in!' An' 'e din call it me ag'in. No, seh. But 'e din like to 'ush up. Thass the rizz'n 'e was a lil miscutteous to you. Me, I am always polite. As they say, 'A nod is juz as good as a kick f'om a bline hoss.' You are fon' of maxim, Mistoo Itchlin? Me, I'm ve'y fon' of them. But they's got one maxim what you may 'ave 'eard--I do not fine that maxim always come t'ue. 'Ave you evva yeah that maxim, 'A fool faw luck'? That don't always come t'ue. I 'ave discove'd that."
"No," responded Richling, with a parting smile, "that doesn't always come true."
Dr. Sevier denounced the world at large, and the American nation in particular, for two days. Within himself, for twenty-four hours, he grumly blamed Richling for their rupture; then for twenty-four hours reproached himself, and, on the morning of the third day knocked at the door, corner of St. Mary and Prytania.
No one answered. He knocked again. A woman in bare feet showed herself at the corresponding door-way in the farther half of the house.
"Nobody don't live there no more, sir," she said.
"Where have they gone?"
"Well, reely, I couldn't tell you, sir. Because, reely, I don't know nothing about it. I haint but jest lately moved in here myself, and I don't know nothing about nobody around here scarcely at all."
The Doctor shut himself again in his carriage and let himself be whisked away, in great vacuity of mind.
"They can't blame anybody but themselves," was, by-and-by, his rallying thought. "Still"--he said to himself after another vacant interval, and said no more. The thought that whether _they_ could blame others or not did not cover all the ground, rested heavily on him. _