“That’s it, I guess,” said Chap; “but I don’t remember him. I didn’t come here much in those days.” After a pause, he continued: “Now that you’ve got your cousin here, I don’t suppose you want me. Things look as if he were going to make a good deal of a stay.”
“Now, look here, Chap,” said Phil, earnestly. “I don’t want any of your nonsense. Just you hang on where you are. It’s as likely as not I’ll need you more than ever. I don’t wonder this French fellow wanted to come and stay awhile with us, for if he has been here before he must know that it’s a tip-top place in summer. If he’d come when uncle was here, it would have been all right. But why everything should turn up just now I can’t imagine.”
“Don’t worry about me,” said Chap. “I’ll hang on.”
At this moment Susan appeared at the door. She had not spoken to Phil since he threatened to dismiss her; but now she saw fit to break the silence.
“Is that young man going to stay here?” she asked.
“I suppose he’ll stay some time,” answered Phil. “He brought a trunk.”
“Well, then,” said the housekeeper, “if you are going to pay me off and discharge me, you might as well do it now, before this house gets filled up with boys.”
“I am not going to pay you off and discharge you, Susan,” said Phil, coloring a little, “for I find I can’t do it, and I think it will be a great deal better, Susan, if you’d take hold and pull along squarely with me, as uncle intended.”
“Oh, yes, of course!” said Susan.
And, with a little toss of her head, she walked off.