"How do you like him?" Then, seeing that Gerald hesitated, he added: "You needn't mind telling me, for I ain't much stuck on the boy myself, even if he is my nephew."
"I don't like him much, Mr. Crane."
"I don't know anybody that does, except his mother. He and Melindy—that's his mother—have seen some pretty hard times. More'n once his mother has sent him to me for a little help when they hadn't a penny in the house."
This was news to Gerald, of course, but did not necessarily prejudice him against his stepmother and her son, but it made their present pretensions and airs rather ridiculous.
"Why haven't you been to call on your sister before?" he asked.
"Because she never invited me and I thought she wouldn't like to have her new husband see me."
"My father would have received you kindly, Mr. Crane."
"I am sure he would if you are like him. You ain't no kin to me, but I like you better already than Abel."
"Thank you, Mr. Crane."
"You needn't do that. It ain't sayin' much, for Abel, to my mind, is a disagreeable cub."