Jane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica
Chapter 12
“A young man is comin’ here dis evening to see me,” Sathyra casually remarked one morning to Jane, as both of them were going down to work. “I expect him ’bout seven o’clock.”
“Him is a stranger?” inquired Jane.
“Yes; I meet him about a week ago when I was comin’ home from me work; but we didn’t have much talk since dat time I see him two times, and last night him ask me where I live, and say him would like to make de acquaintance of a young lady like me, as him thinkin’ of getten married. So I laugh, an’ tell him that where I live was too poor to receive visitor, and dat I didn’t believe him could fall in love with a plain-lookin’ gurl like me. But him swear him never love anybody like me before, and, as him press me hard, I tell him to come here, but that I have a frien’ living wid me, so him must behave himself.”
“That is good,” said Jane heartily. “Y’u think him really gwine to married you?”
“Tcho! That’s what them all say; but it only go t’rough one ear and come out t’rough the other when them say it to me. Who getten married now? De best t’ing a gurl can do, when a young man want to be friendly with her, is to “eat him out” as much as she can. Teck all you can get, for all of them is alike. However, him coming this evening. Seven o’clock.” Then Sathyra went her way.
Had Jane possessed more worldly wisdom, she would have seen in this piece of information a hint that that evening two would be company and three a crowd. She would even have guessed that the time might be approaching when she might have to seek new quarters. Nothing suspecting; however, she was on the scene when the young man arrived. He was rather tall and pleasant looking; he had a loud laugh, a big mouth, no hair on his face, and a habit of agreeing with everyone. He was received in the room by the girls, and was duly and formally introduced as “Mr Sampson” to Jane.
“Pleased to know you, Miss Burrell,” he said, as he shook hands; then he seated himself carefully on the strongest-looking of the three chairs Sathyra owned, and placed his feet where his new boots could be seen to the greatest advantage.
“Very pleased to know anyone from de country. Your friend told me you are from Mount Salas, an’ I have a cousin who know Mount Salas.” He laughed loudly as he concluded this little speech, and Sathyra, all smiles, observed:—
“Didn’t think you was coming again.”
“No, don’t say that!” protested Sampson in an aggrieved tone of voice. “When I say I are goin’ to do a thing, mark ten! This is an unexpected pleasure, Miss Morrison, an’ I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”
He had no difficulty in reconciling a carefully arranged visit with his declaration as to the accidental character of it; he meant a compliment, and his words were taken as such.
Sathyra was genuinely pleased. It was some months since she had had a beau, and admiration was the very breath of life to her.
“Y’u had any difficulty in finding de place?” she asked him, secret