The elderly ladies laughed
good-humoredly, and Mrs. Crabtree was heard to say that the whole
affair would have been very tame but that Mr. Crabtree had "carried it
all off." But, in truth, when Joe got up the fun of the day had
commenced, for Miss Thoroughbung, though she kept her chair, was able to
utter as many words as her nephew: "I'm sure I'm very much obliged to
you for what you've all been saying."
"So you ought, sir, for you have heard more good of yourself than you'll
ever hear again."
"Then I'm the more obliged to you. What my people have said about my
being so long upon the road--"
"That's only just what you have told them at the brewery. Nobody knows
where you have been."
"Molly can tell you all about that."
"I can't tell them anything," Molly said in a whisper.
"But it comes only once in a man's lifetime," continued Joe; "and I dare
say, if we knew all about the governor when he was of my age, which I
don't remember, he was as spooney as any one."
"I only saw him once for six months before he was married," said Mrs.
Thoroughbung in a funereal voice.
"He's made up for it since," said Miss Thoroughbung.
"I'm sure I'm very proud to have got such a young lady to have come and
joined her lot with mine," continued Joe; "and nobody can think more
about his wife's family than I do.
Pages:
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815