"Why you don't suppose I believed what Maria Davids said?" replied Mrs. Somers. "Her words are not worth their weight in gold--and she isn't a bit too good to be jealous. But the thing is, if Faith didn't do that, what _did_ she do? Jenny! fetch in the tub of hot water, and be spry!" With Jenny and the hot water walked in a somewhat rough-looking boy, who declared without much ceremony, beyond doffing his cap, that "'ma sent him to find out where the sewin' meetin' was to be this week." "Who are you?" said Mrs. Somers, dipping a cup in the hot water and wiping it with a 'spryness' that was quite imposing. "Is your name Bill Wright?" "No 'taint," said the boy. "Guess again." "You'll never pay anybody for much trouble that way," said Mrs. Somers dipping in the corresponding saucer. "Jenny--did you ever hear of anybody's getting along in a dish-tub without a mop?" "Who is it wants to know, sir?" said Mr. Somers politely. "Who is your father?" "He's farmer Davids." "Oh! and are you Phil?" "Yes! What be I goin' to tell her?"--This interrogatory being sent in the direction of the dish-tub. "Why you can tell her two things," said Mrs. Somers, eying Phil from head to foot. "In the first place, the Society'll meet down at Miss Bezac's; and in the second, as soon as your mother'll teach her children how to behave themselves I shall be very glad to see them." "The Society'll meet down to Miss Purcell's?" "Miss Bezac's"--said Mrs. Somers, preserving a cheerful and brisk equanimity in the midst of her sharp words that was quite delightful. "Pay more attention to your lessons, Phil Davids, and you'll be a better boy, if you look sharp." "What lessons?" said the boy blackly. "All you get--at home and abroad. You go to school I fancy," replied Mrs. Somers. The boy glanced towards the clock and began to move off, answering by actions rather than words. "You were over at Neanticut, I suppose, Saturday," said Mr. Somers affably. To which the answer was a choked and unwilling 'yes.' "Well who drove you over?" "He druv," said Phil. "I'm going--" "And the ladies--weren't there ladies along?" "Yes--They druv too." "Did you have a fine time?" said Mrs. Somers. "Yes! _I_ did," said Phil very gloomily. "Why what did you do more than the rest?" "I didn't do nothing!" said Phil, blurting out,--"and he went and took all my nuts away. He's the devil!" The boy looked at the minute as if he was a young one. "Hush, hush!" said Mr. Somers. "You--you oughtn't to speak that way--don't you know? it's not proper." "I hope he boxed your ears first," said Mrs. Somers--"I'm certain you deserved it. What made him take your nuts away?" "He wanted 'em to make a present to you"--said the boy; and with another glance at the hands of the clock, he darted out of the house and down the road towards the schoolhouse, as if truly he had expected to meet there the character he had mentioned.