Голод

           "

           Ifhehadshownmethedooritwouldhavebeenalmostasacceptable.IfeltasifIwereonthepointofcryingandsaid:

           "Ibegyouwillexcuse...."

           "Pray,sitdown,"herepeated.AndIsatdown,andexplainedthatIagainhadanarticlewhichIwasextremelyanxioustogetintohispaper.Ihadtakensuchpainswithit;ithadcostmemucheffort.

           "Iwillreadit,"saidhe,andhetookit."Everythingyouwriteiscertaintocostyoueffort,butyouarefartooimpetuous;ifyoucouldonlybealittlemoresober.There’stoomuchfever.Inthemeantime,Iwillreadit,"andheturnedtothetableagain.

           ThereIsat.DaredIaskforashilling?explaintohimwhytherewasalwaysfever?Hewouldbesuretoaidme;itwasnotthefirsttime.

           Istoodup.Hum!ButthelasttimeIwaswithhimhehadcomplainedaboutmoney,andhadsentamessengerouttoscrapesometogetherforme.Maybeitmightbethesamecasenow.No;itshouldnotoccur!CouldInotseethenthathewassittingatwork?

           Wasthereotherwiseanything?heinquired.

           "No,"Ianswered,andIcompelledmyvoicetosoundsteady."AbouthowsoonshallIcallinagain?"

           "Oh,anytimeyouarepassing—inacoupleofdaysorso."

           Icouldnotgetmyrequestovermylips.Thisman’sfriendlinessseemedtomebeyondbounds,andIoughttoknowhowtoappreciateit.Ratherdieofhunger!Iwent.