ecommonstair,Iwonderedwhetherthe“locataire,”nowmountingtohisapartments,wereasunsettledinmindandconditionasIwas,orwhetherhelivedinthecalmofcertainresources,andinthefreedomofunfetteredfeelings.What!washecominginpersontosolvetheproblemhardlyproposedininaudiblethought?Hehadactuallyknockedatthedoor—atMYdoorasmart,promptrapand,almostbeforeIcouldinvitehimin,hewasoverthethreshold,andhadclosedthedoorbehindhim.
“Andhowareyou?”askedanindifferent,quietvoice,intheEnglishlanguagewhilemyvisitor,withoutanysortofbustleorintroduction,puthishatonthetable,andhisglovesintohishat,anddrawingtheonlyarmchairtheroomaffordedalittleforward,seatedhimselftranquillytherein.
“Can’tyouspeak?”heinquiredinafewmoments,inatonewhosenonchalanceseemedtointimatethatitwasmuchthesamethingwhetherIansweredornot.Thefactis,Ifounditdesirabletohaverecoursetomygoodfriends“lesbesicles”notexactlytoascertaintheidentityofmyvisitor—forIalreadyknewhim,confoundhisimpudence!buttoseehowhelooked—togetaclearnotionofhismienandcountenance.Iwipedtheglassesverydeliberately,andputthemonquiteasdeliberatelyadjustingthemsoasnottohurtthebridgeofmynoseorgetentangledinmyshorttuftsofdunhair.Iwassittinginthewindow-seat,withmybacktothelight,andIhadhimVIS-A-VISapositionhewouldmuchratherhavehadreversedfor,atanytime,hepreferredscrutinizingtobeingscrutinized.Yes,itwasHE,andnomistake,withhissixfeetoflengtharrangedinasittingattitudewithhisdarktravellingsurtoutwithitsvelvetcollar,hisgraypantaloons,hisblackstock,andhisface,themostoriginaloneNatureevermodelled,yettheleastobtrusivelysonotonefeaturethatcouldbetermedmarkedorodd,yettheeffectofthewholeunique.Thereisnouseinattemptingtodescribewhatisindescribable.Beinginnohurrytoaddresshim,Isatandstaredatmyease.
“Oh,that’syourgame—isit?”saidheatlast.“Well,we’llseewhichissoonesttired.”Andheslowlydrewoutafinecigar-case,pickedonetohistaste,litit,tookabookfromtheshelfconvenienttohishand,thenleaningback,proceededtosmokeandreadastranquillyasifhehadbeeninhisownroom,inGrove-street,X—-shire,England.Iknewhewascapableofcontinuinginthatattitudetillmidnight,ifheconceivedthewhim,soIrose,andtakingthebookfromhishand,Isaid,—
“Youdidnotaskforit,andyoushallnothaveit.”
“Itissillyanddull,”heobserved,“soIhavenotlostmuch”thenthespellbeingbroken,hewenton:“IthoughtyoulivedatPelet’sIwenttherethisafternoonexpectingtobestarvedtodeathbysittinginaboarding-schooldrawing-room,andtheytoldmeyouweregone,haddepartedthismorningyouhadleftyouraddressbehindyouthough,whichI