"Concerned?" cried Benjamin Wright, pounding the table with his
tumbler and chewing orange-skin rapidly. "I'm damned concerned."
"I will ask, sir, that you will not swear in my presence."
Mr. Wright coughed. "I will endeavor to respect the cloth," he said
stiffly.
"If you will respect yourself, it will be sufficient. As for Sam, if
there's anything wrong, his father ought to know it."
"Well then, tell his--mother, that there is something wrong."
"What?"
Mr. Wright got up, and clasping his hands behind him, shuffled about
the room. Instantly one of the canaries began to sing. "Stop that!" he
said. The bird quivered with shrill music. "Stop! You! ... There's no
such thing as conversation, with these creatures about," he added in a
proud aside. "Did you ever hear such singing?"
Dr. Lavendar, unable to make himself heard, shook his head.
"If you don't stop," said Mr. Wright, "I'll wring your neck!" and as
the bird continued, he opened the door. "Simmons! You freckled nigger!
Bring me the apron." Then he stamped, and cursed the slowness of
niggers. Simmons, however, came as fast as his old legs could carry
him, bearing a blue gingham apron. This, thrown over the cage,
produced silence.
"There! Now, perhaps, you'll hold your tongue? ... Lavendar, I prefer
not to say what is wrong. Merely tell Sam's--mother, that he
had better go. If she is too mean to provide the money, I will."
"Sam's father is not too mean to do anything for Sam's welfare; but of
course, a general accusation is not convincing; should not be
convincing--Why!" said Dr. Lavendar, interrupting himself, "bless my
heart! I believe you mean that the boy is making sheep's-eyes at your
neighbor here on the hill? Is that it? Why, Benjamin, the best way to
cure that is to pay no attention to it."
"Sir," said Mr. Wright, sinking into his chair breathlessly, and
tapping the table with one veined old finger; "when I was a young man,
it was not thought proper to introduce the name of a female into a
discussion between gentlemen."
"Well," Dr. Lavendar admitted, "maybe not--when you were young. But
all of us young folks in Old Chester know perfectly well that Sam is
smitten, and we are ignoring it."
"What! His--mother knows it?"
"His father knows it perfectly well," said Dr. Lavendar smiling.
Mr. Wright got up again, his fingers twitching with impatience.
"Lavendar," he began--another bird trilled, and snarling with
annoyance, he pulled the blue apron from the first cage and threw it
over the second. "These creatures drive me distracted! ... Lavendar,
to get Sam out of Old Chester, I might almost consent to see his--
mother, if there was no other way to accomplish it."