"You are! Y'always are." When Hugh laughed, her laugh redoubled. The mate and the players, though busy talking, took time to smile; the mate winked an eye. Suddenly Ramsey sobered. "Is Basile in hot water again? Tell me quick."
"Tell me first," said Hugh, "why his two brothers——"
"Are so wild? Because pop-a won't allow mom-a to hold them in. Pop-a says: 'Oh, let 'em sow their wild oats early, like me; so deep they'll never come up.' Oh, my! they're up now."
"I wasn't going to ask that."
"Well, I can't tell if you don't ask."
"Why do they keep themselves so apart from you?"
"Me? Oh, they just can't stand me!—nor even mom-a."
"That's bad, for all of us."
"All of—who? Oh!... Humph!... Oh, but it's worse for Basile! He goes with them till he's sick of 'em, then tries mom-a and me till he's just as sick of—of me—and himself—and then strays off to whoever he can pick up with!"
"This time," said Hugh, "he's been picked up."