Mr. Burton desired to give his wife a pertinent hint yet dared not while two such vigilant pairs of ears were present. A happy thought struck him and he said in very bad German:
“Is it not time for the reformation to begin?”
And Mrs. Burton answered:—
“It soon will be.”
“That’s awful funny talk,” said Budge. “I wish I could talk that way. That’s just the way ragged, dirty men talk to my papa sometimes, and then he gives ’em lots of pennies. When was you an’ Aunt Alice ragged an’ dirty, so as to learn to talk that way?”
“Budge, Budge!” exclaimed Mrs. Burton. “Thousands of very rich and handsome people talk that way—all German people do.”
“Do they talk to the Lord so?” asked Budge.
“Certainly,” said Mrs. Burton.
“Gracious!” exclaimed the young man. “He must be awful smart to understand them.”
Mr. Burton repeated his question in German, but Mrs. Burton kept silent and looked extremely serious, with a ghost of a frown.