“What do you think he had the impudence to say to me, mother?” asked Andrew.
“I shall not be surprised at any impudence from the young reprobate.”
“He wanted me to beg his pardon for strikin’ him with a whip, as he said I did.”
“Well, I never did!” ejaculated Mrs. Badger. “To think of my boy apologizing to a low, hired boy like him!”
“Oh, he’s gettin’ awful airy, ma! Shouldn’t wonder if he thought he was my equal!”
“There’s nothing but a flogging will subdue such a boy as that. I ain’t unmerciful, and if the boy showed a proper humility I wouldn’t mind doin’ all I could for him and overlookin’ his faults, but when he insults my Andrew, I can’t excuse him. But there’s one thing I can’t understand: He didn’t use to be so bold.”
“I know what has changed him, ma.”
“What is it, Andrew?”
“It’s that Dick Schmidt. Dick treats him as if he was his equal, and that makes him put on airs.”
“Then Dick lowers himself—though, to be sure, I don’t hold him to be equal to you! The Badgers are a better family than the Schmidts, and so are the Coneys, which was my name before I was married.”