“This guttural chattering of the people. Why, you can hardly hear an English word spoken. It’s all double Dutch, till I feel as if my teeth were set on edge.”
“Nonsense! Good chance to learn German.”
“I’d rather learn Hottentot. Look too what a lot of fat, muffin-faced women there are, and stupid, smoky, sour-kraut-eating men. To my mind there are only two people worth looking at, and they are your father and mother.”
Frank, who had felt irritated at his companion’s persistent carping, began to glow, for he felt that his companion’s words were genuine.
“Yes, they do look well, don’t they?”
“Splendid. I do like your mother, Frank.”
“Well, she likes you.”
“H’m. I don’t know,” said the lad dubiously.
“But I do,” said Frank quickly. “She told me so only this afternoon.”
“What! Here, tell me what she said.”