"Certainly not. No offense was meant."
"It is well for you that there isn't. So you liked Mr. and Mrs. Avery better than the Fogsons?"
"Yes," answered Jed guardedly, for he understood now that Percy wanted to "pump" him.
"Why?"
"Because they treated me better."
"My father thinks well of the Fogsons. He says that old Avery pampered the paupers and almost spoiled them."
"I won't argue the question. I only know that we all liked Mr. and Mrs. Avery. Now it's scold, scold, scold all day and every day, and we don't live nearly as well as we did."
"Paupers mustn't expect to live as well as at a first-class hotel!" said Percy sarcastically.
"They certainly don't live like that here."
"And they won't while my father is overseer. He says he's going to put a stop to their being pampered at the town's expense. You live well enough now."