I had yet a few hours to walk about; there was no use in going to
the newspaper office before ten, perhaps eleven. I must lounge about so
long, and think, in the meantime, over some expedient to raise breakfast.
For that matter, I had no fear of going to bed hungry that day; those
times were over, God be praised! That was a thing of the past, an evil
dream. Henceforth, Excelsior!
But, in the meanwhile, the green blanket was a trouble to me. Neither
could I well make myself conspicuous by carrying such a thing about right
under people's eyes. What would any one think of me? And as I went on I
tried to think of a place where I could have it kept till later on. It
occurred to me that I might go into Semb's and get it wrapped up in paper;
not only would it look better, but I need no longer be ashamed of carrying
it,
I entered the shop, and stated my errand to one of the shop boys.
He looked first at the blanket, then at me. It struck me that he shrugged
his shoulders to himself a little contemptuously as he took it; this
annoyed me.
"Young man," I cried, "do be a little careful! There are two costly glass
vases in that; the parcel has to go to Smyrna."
This had a famous effect. The fellow apologized with every movement he
made for not having guessed that there was something out of the common in
this blanket. When he had finished packing it up I thanked him with the
air of a man who had sent precious goods to Smyrna before now.
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