RECOLLECTIONS, 1865-70. 55 



would forget it, but he insisted to pay ; he read in my 

 face as I read in his mind, but he had the advantage 

 over me, so he asked his friend again for $20 ; the 

 friend told him from outside, for he was out and we 

 were inside : Erastus ! you know me well enough ; I 

 never lend money to any body without knowing what 

 use he is going to do with the money. By .... I have 

 told you already to pay for that plant. What plant > 

 I want to see it ; he walked in, looked at the plant for 

 one second and went out backward, so that he knocked 

 his head against the top of the door, turned round, 

 picked up his hat, took his cigar out of his mouth and 

 assuming a theatrical attitude, as an actor acting the 

 part of Hamlet when going to recite the monologue : 

 To be or not to be ! and said by ....!! 25 dollars for 

 a plant ! ! do you know that with $25 we could, the three 

 of us, get completely .... intoxicated with Lord Byrorfs 

 Intoxication (in a measure). As Lord Byron's intoxi- 

 cation is, " par excellence," the triplicate effusion of 

 the heart, of the soul, and of the most sensitive part of 

 the human intellect ! A Trinity of thing celestial, an 

 union of bliss ! " E pluribus unum spiritual^. ! " 



After that tirade I was going to tell him, you are 

 right enough and you cannot improve your condition ; 

 but I kept my tongue and I began to reconsider my 

 visitors. The senior of the trio had been, during all 



