Year: 1869

From Blackwood's Magazinel


1t once occurred TO me to be request
ed by an American friend to negotiate
a somewhat difficult point for him
with his landlord, whose language
/ Italian-he could not speak. My
friend had taken lodging for a GER
tain fixed period, but being suddenly
called away before its expiration, he
/ desired to cede his tenure and be
freed from his contract.


There was not a particle of right on
his side to urge this concession. Not
a word occurred in the agreement be-
tween them which could warrant the
demand. 1t could only be moved on
grounds of courtesy, and by an appeal
to that cOncilatory spirit which lOdg-
ling-house people are somewhat prone
to be proud of. entered upon the ne
gotiation with little hope of success,
indeed, but with q seeming convic-
tion on my mind that it was arequest
had only to be made to be complied
with.


My adversary was a Tuscan, and,
/ need not say, much more than my
match at this game of craft. He
knew every trick of my fence before
had given a thrust and though his
politeness never forsoOk him, nor did
he once betray himself by a word of
wrath, he maintained his position
unfiiIchingly, and would not concede
an inch. He admitted that nothing
could be more natural than my
friends desire to return home, where
sick uncle had sent for him-that
such affectionate zeal was positively
touching in one so yOung-that the
display of feeling contrasted power
fully with what a European nephew
would have manifested under like
circumstances regarded under every
respect, his wish to go back was
trait of feeling that, in world of sell
fishness and narrow-mindedness, was
at once encouraging and refreshing.
On the other side lay, however, the
contract-a contract for two years, of
which above fifteen months remain
ed-a contract drawn out by an able
lawyer. and without a discoverable
flaw, and to the terms of which he,
the landlord, must hold him. He
used the word imust" with 3 peculiar
emphasis, as though some strong pow
er stood behind him, cOercing and
compelling, against which his person
al wishes could make no resistance
whatever; conduct the more ineXpli-
cable that the man had not Q wife.
From this stubborn determination
nothing could move him, and he
waved the written paper with a sort
of proud defiance before us as though
it were a flag he would die rather than
surrender.


"Wall,n said my friend at last,
'dont he see it,"


mo" said !, che does not; he in
sists on being paid to the uttermost
cent, and says even then it's very
civil of him to take charge of the
premises.


ibid you tell him he's a skunk"


''NO, L did not. Among other rea-
sons, Pm not sure l know the Italian
equivalent for that beast"


Say skunk! skunk ~ repeated he, /.
looking the landlord fiercely in the
face while he shouted the word at
him.


Foreseeing that the discussion
might soon pass into o stage where ]
diplomacy would be helpless, whis- /.
pered to my friend an advice to pay
the money and end the transaction.


"No, siree,3 said he sucking away |
at an unlighted cigar-''no stree; that |
amt my grit no ways. Jist you take |
a turn in the Cascini, and leave me to |
deal with him."


Not very sorry to make even an in |
glorious escape from an unpleasant |
situation, made my bow and retired. |
In less than an hour after espied my |
friend sauntering along the ArnO, and |
made for him.


well what did you do with Sig
nor?" asked /, half quizzingly.


''Settled it off downright" said he,
calmly.


"BGt how in heavens name but |
how?"


"Just this way" said he, ~ put 1
him down beside me on the sofa, and
L said, "Signor you have got to take
them keys and l put the whole lot
of 'em ON his lap; and every time he
said anything in his cOnfounded glib
berish, said, "You've got TO take
them keys" and when / said that
six or seven times, YOU see, he began
think there was something in the
way ] said it meant mischief, least
ways he didn't like to provoke me to
more, and he took 'em and gave me
the contract, and it's all right


Now, small and insignificant as this
incident is, it has awonderful bearing
on national character; for the way in
which my friend dealt with his land
lord is precisely that in which Amer
lean diplomacy deals with European
governments-Overbearing opposition
by simply ignoring it; and by a
steady persistence, backedby a resO-
lutte determination there can be no
mistaking, carrying out the policy of
its will against any amount of resist