manners; but there was a look in her asymmetrical eyes, in the shape of her thin hands, even in the stoop of her shoulders, that seemed passionate.  One day—­when her brother, a fine, sweet-blooded manly young athlete, was absent—­I commenced to pull her about.  She gave me one passionate kiss, but said:  ’No!  Do you know what keeps me straight?  It is the thought of my brother.’  I refrained from molesting her further.  I met other girls, some pretty and arrogant, others plain and hungry-eyed; it was a country town where there were four or five females to every male.  But I could not speak frankly and candidly to a young woman as the young banker did....

“I remember that one night, when I was living at the Port, I slept all night with a prostitute who had taken a fancy to me and who used to cry on my shoulder, much to my impatience and annoyance.  In the same bed with us, lying beside me, was a girl aged about 12.  On my expressing surprise I was told she was used to it and noticed nothing.  But in the morning I turned my head and looked at her, and even in the dim light of that dirty bedroom I could see that her eyes had noticed and understood.  She pressed herself against me and smiled; it was not the smile of an infant.  I could record many instances I have observed of the precocity of children.

“At one time I made the acquaintance of three young men, two in the customs, the other in a surveyor’s office.  At the first glance you would have said they were ordinary nice young clerks, but on becoming better acquainted you would notice certain peculiarities, a looseness of mouth, a restless, nervous inquietude of manner, an indescribable gleam of the eye.  They were very fond of performing and singing at amateur minstrel shows and developed a certain comic vein they thought original, though it reminded me of professional corner-men.  However, I enjoyed their singing and drinking habits and went to their lodgings several nights to play cards, drink beer, and tell funny stories.  One night they asked me to stay all night and on going to a room with two beds I was told to have one.  Presently one of the young men came in and commenced to undress.  But before going to his bed he made a remark which, though I had been drinking, opened my eyes.  I told him to shut up and go to bed, speaking firmly and rather coldly, and he went reluctantly to his own bed.  But another night when they had shifted their lodgings and were all sleeping in the same room I was drunk and went to bed with the same fair-haired young man.  On waking up in the night I found my bedmate tampering with me.  The old force came over me and I abused him, but refused to commit the crime he wanted me to.  His penis was small and pointed.  I rose early in the morning, sobered, suffering, and covered with shame, and went hastily away, refusing to stay for breakfast.  I thought I caught an amazed and evil smile on the faces of the other two.