“Indeed you have got to pay to live,” said John, stepping to the window and drawing up its painted paper shade. “Yes, and”—
“Ah!” exclaimed Mary, with gentle disapprobation. She met her husband’s eye with a smile of protest. “John,” she said, “Mr. ——” she couldn’t think of the name.
“Nahcisse,” said the Creole.
“Will think,” she continued, her amusement climbing into her eyes in spite of her, “you’re in earnest.”
“Well, I am, partly. Narcisse knows, as well as we do that there are two sides to the question.” He resumed his seat. “I reckon”—
“Yes,” said Narcisse, “and what you muz look out faw, ’tis to git on the soff side.”
They all laughed.
“I was going to say,” said Richling, “the world takes us as we come, ‘sight-unseen.’ Some of us pay expenses, some don’t.”
“Ah!” rejoined Narcisse, looking up at the whitewashed ceiling, “those egspenze’!” He raised his hand and dropped it. “I fine it so diffycul’ to defeat those egspenze’! In fact, Mistoo Itchlin, such ah the state of my financial emba’assment that I do not go out at all. I stay in, in fact. I stay at my ’ouse—to light’ those egspenze’!”
They were all agreed that expenses could be lightened thus.