"Well, let's go to it," Fonzo said. They moved toward the exit. A man
shouted "taxi" at them; a redcap tried to take Fonzo's bag. "Look out," he
said, drawing it back. On the street more cabmen barked at them.
"So this is Memphis," Fonzo said. "Which way is it, now?" He had no answer.
He looked around and saw Virgil in the act of turning away from a cabman.
"What you-"
"Up this way," Virgil said. "It aint far."
It was a mile and a half. From time to time they swapped hands with the
bags. "So this is Memphis," Fonzo said. "Where have I been all my life?"
When they entered the Gayoso a porter offered to take the bags. They
brushed past him and entered, walking gingerly on the tile floor. Virgil
stopped.
"Come on," Fonzo said.
"Wait," Virgil said.
"Thought you was here before," Fonzo said.
"I was. This hyer place is too high. They'll want a dollar a day here."
"What are we going to do, then?"
"Let's kind of look around."
They returned to the street. It was five o'clock. They went on, looking
about, carrying the suit cases. They came to another hotel. Looking in they
saw marble, brass cuspidors, hurrying bellboys, people sitting among potted
plants.
"That un'll be just as bad," Virgil said.
"What we going to do then? We caint walk around all night."
"Let's git off this hyer street," Virgil said. They left Main Street. At
the next corner Virgil turned again. "Let's look down this-a-way. Git away
from all that ere plate glass and monkey niggers. That's what you have to
pay for in them places."
"Why? It's already bought when we got there. How come we have to pay for
it?"
"Suppose somebody broke it while we was there. Suppose
108 WILLIAM FAULKNER
they couldn't ketch who done it. Do you reckon they'd let us out withouten
we paid our share?"
At five-thirty they entered a narrow dingy street of frame houses and junk
yards. Presently they came to a three storey house in a small grassless
yard. Before the entrance a latticework false entry leaned. On the steps
sat a big woman in a mother hubbard, watching two fluffy dogs which moved
about the yard.
"Let's try that un," Fonzo said.
"That aint no hotel. Where's ere sign?"
"Why aint it? Fonzo said. "'Course it is. Who ever heard of anybody just
living in a three storey house?"
"We can't go in this-a-way," Virgil said. "This hyer's the back. Don't you
see that privy?" jerking his head toward the lattice.
"Well, let's go around to the front, then," Fonzo said. "Come on."
They went around the block. The opposite side was filled by a row of
automobile salesrooms. They stood in the middle of the block, their suit
cases in their right hands.
"I dont believe you was ever here before," Fonzo said.
"Let's go back. That must a been the front."
"With the privy built onto the front door?" Fonzo said.
"We can ask that lady."
"Who can? I aint."
"Let's go back and see, anyway."
They returned. The woman and the dogs were gone.
"Now you done it," Fonzo said. "Aint you?"
"Let's wait a while. Maybe she'll come back."
"It's almost seven o'clock," Fonzo said.
They set the bags down beside the fence. The lights had come on, quivering
high in the serried windows against the tall serene western sky.
"I can smell ham, too," Fonzo said.
A cab drew up. A plump blonde woman got out, followed by a man. They
watched them go up the walk and enter the lattice. Fonzo sucked his breath
across his teeth. "Durned if they didn't," he whispered.
"Maybe it's her husband," Virgil said.
Fonzo picked up his bag. "Come on."
"Wait," Virgil said, "Give them a little time."
They waited. The man came out and got in the cab and went away.
"Caint be her husband," Fonzo said. "I wouldn't a never left. Come on." He
entered the gate.
"Wait," Virgil said.
"You can," Fonzo said. Virgil took his bag and followed.
SANCTUARY 109
He stopped while Fonzo opened the lattice gingerly and peered in. "Aw,
hell," he said. He entered. There was another door, with curtained glass.
Fonzo knocked.
"Why didn't you push that ere button?" Virgil said. "Dont you know city
folks dont answer no knock?"
"All right," Fonzo said. He rang the bell. The door opened. It was the
woman in the mother hubbard; they could hear the dogs behind her.
"Got ere extra room?" Fonzo said.
Miss Reba looked at them, at their new hats and the suit cases.
"Who sent you here?" she said.
"Didn't nobody. We just picked it out." Miss Reba looked at him. "Them
hotels is too high."
Miss Reba breathed harshly. "What you boys doing?"
"We come hyer on business," Fonzo said. "We aim to stay a good spell."
"if it aint too high," Virgil said.
Miss Reba looked at him. "Where you from, honey?"
They told her, and their names. "We aim to be hyer a month or more, if it
suits us."
"Why, I reckon so," she said after a while. She looked at them. "I can let
you have a room, but I'll have to charge you extra whenever you do business
in it. I got my living to make like everybody else."
"We aint, we'll do our business at the college," Fonzo said.
"What college?" Miss Reba said.
"The barber's college," Fonzo said.
