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His drooping shoulders had straightened; the restless look had gone from his eyes; his somber face had something of repose in it, the repose of a settled purpose. He would go home, tell Nancy that he was an unlucky good-for-naught, and ask her if she would try her hand at making him over.
A good-for-naught lad may have stolen his nest, or a cat filched his young, or his sons and daughters flown away and left him; but he'll sing, for all that. 'Tis a pity the rest of us can't do as well." "Yes," agreed the tinker, "but the story " "Aye, the story. It begins with a wee white cottage in Brittany, fronted by roses and backed by great cliffs and the open sea."
'Alas! said the young man, 'her father is a wandering good-for-naught, who has forsaken wife and child, and gone off who knows where? The wife complains of him bitterly enough, and scolds my dear maiden when she takes her father's part.
Then the old woman called a poor dog, which looked very thin and wretched, and said to it: "Up! conduct this good-for-naught to the castle of Go and Return Not, and be careful that you inform my friend of his arrival." The dog snarled, shook himself savagely, and set forth.
This good-for-naught, as all your good-looking fellows are, paid to make a piece go, is the cock of the walk out on the Boulevard du Temple, where he works up the new plays, and takes care that the actresses get a reception, as he calls it.
"Men called him but a shiftless youth, In whom no good they saw; And yet, unwittingly, in truth, They made his careless word their law. "Men granted that his speech was wise, But, when a glance they caught Of his slim grace and woman's eyes, They laughed and called him good-for-naught."
"What do you take me for?" demanded Pickering, starting to his feet with flashing eyes, and throwing open his top-coat as if the weight oppressed him. "I've been a lazy dog all my life, and a good-for-naught; but I hope I've not sunk to that." "Oh, nothing, nothing I'm sure I didn't mean," cried Mr. Cabot, starting back suddenly in astonishment.
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