“What? Well, say last week, then. We were married last week, and we've come to Boston to seek our fortune.”
His wit overjoyed Mrs. Nash. “You'll find Boston an awful hard place to get along,” she said, shaking her head with a warning smile.
“I shouldn't think so, by the price Boston people ask for their rooms,” returned Bartley. “If I had rooms to let, I should get along pretty easily.”
This again delighted the landlady. “I guess you aint goin' to get out of spirits, anyway,” she said. “Well,” she continued, “I have got a room 't I guess would suit you. Unexpectedly vacated.” She seemed to recur to the language of an advertisement in these words, which she pronounced as if reading them. “It's pretty high up,” she said, with another warning shake of the head.
“Stairs to get to it?” asked Bartley.
“Plenty of stairs.”
“Well, when a place is pretty high up, I like to have plenty of stairs to get to it. I guess we'll see it, Marcia.” He rose.
“Well, I'll just go up and see if it's fit to be seen, first,” said the landlady.
“Oh, Bartley!” said Marcia, when she had left them alone, “how could you joke so about our just being married!”
“Well, I saw she wanted awfully to ask. And anybody can tell by looking at us, anyway. We can't keep that to ourselves, any more than we can our greenness. Besides, it's money in our pockets; she'll take something off our board for it, you'll see. Now, will you manage the bargaining from this on? I stepped forward because the rooms were for gentlemen only.”