Pedlin' sich matters is a ticklish trade, I guess, in some parts?"

"Ja; it ist dangerous somevhere, but it might not be so in dis goot
coontry."

"Why did the old fellow, then, try so hard to get that little room all
to himself, and shove you off into the garret? We hired men don't like
the garret, which is a hot place in summer."

"In Charmany one man hast ever one bed," I answered, anxious to get rid
of the subject.

I bounced a little, as "one has one-half of a bed" would be nearer to
the truth, though the other half might be in another room.

"Oh! that's it, is't? Wa-a-l, every country has its ways, I s'pose.
Jarmany is a desp'ate aristocratic land, I take it."

"Ja; dere ist moch of de old feudal law, and feudal coostum still
remaining in Charmany."

"Landlords a plenty, I guess, if the truth was known. Leases as long as
my arm, I calkerlate?"

"Vell, dey do dink, in Charmany, dat de longer might be de lease, de
better it might be for de denant."

As that was purely a German sentiment, or at least not an American
sentiment, according to the notions broached by statesmen among
ourselves, I made it as Dutch as possible by garnishing it well with
d's.

"That's a droll idee! Now, we think, here, that a lease is a bad thing;
and the less you have of a bad thing, the better."

"Vell, dat _ist_ queer; so queer ast I don't know! Vhat vill dey do as
might help it?"

"Oh! the Legislature will set it all right. They mean to pass a law to
prevent any more leases at all."

"Und vill de beople stand dat? Dis ist a free coontry, effery body dells
me, and vilt der beoples agree not to hire lands if dey vants to?"

"Oh! you see we wish to choke the landlords off from their present
leases; and, by and bye, when _that_ is done, the law can let up again."

"But ist dat right? Der law should be joost, and not hold down and let
oop, as you calls it."

"You don't understand us yet, I see. Why that's the prettiest and the
neatest legislation on airth! That's just what the bankrupt law did."

"Vhat did der bankroopt law do, bray? Vhat might you mean now?--I don't
know."

"Do! why it did wonders for some on us, I can tell you! It paid our
debts, and let us up when we was down; and that's no trifle, I can tell
you. I took 'the benefit,' as it is called, myself."

"You!--you might take der benefit of a bankroopt law! You, lifing here
ast a hiret man, on dis farm!"

"Sartain; why not? All a man wanted, under _that_ l