“He? Why, he’s a pious youth, green as grass itself; and I suppose she talked religion to him. Did you ever hear her talk religion?”
A roar of laughter followed this, out of which Danforth went on. “By George, boys, she gave me a prayer-book once! I’ve got it yet.”
“Well, if that isn’t the best thing I ever heard!” said Nichols.
“It was at the time she was laying siege to me, you see. She undertook the part of guardian angel, and used to talk lots of sentiment. The girls get lots of that out of George Sand’s novels about the holiness of doing just as you’ve a mind to, and all that,” said Danforth.
“By George, Dan, you oughtn’t to laugh. She may have more good in her than you think.”
“Oh, humbug! don’t I know her?”
“Well, at any rate she’s a wonderful creature to hold her looks. By George! how she does hold out! You’d say, now, she wasn’t more than twenty.”
“Yes; she understands getting herself up,” said Danforth, “and touches up her cheeks a bit now and then.”
“She don’t paint, though?”