"Yas, I would be one mud-catfish caught on his forked tail—just for to-night—an' let him drag me behind him in de river, if—"
"But you mus' ricollec', de devil he don't play wid water, Felix. Fire is his—fire an' brimstone—"
"Ah-h-h! Bah, Adolphe! Who is trying to talk sense to-night? Dose row of warehouse yonder, dey are all full, an' on my one pair shoulder. My li'l' crop is not'ing. I got in doze warehouse, waiting for a sure rise in de market—all on my obstinate judgment—everyt'ing of my brudder, my t'ree cousin, my wife, my mud'-in-law,—just t'ink!—not to speak about t'irty-five or forty small consignment. Sure! I would pray to anyt'ing to-night—to save dem. I would pray to one crawfish not to work dis way. Dem crawfish hole is de devil.
"But dat St. Joseph in my pocket! My mudder, I am sure she put it dere. She an' my sisters, dey will all kneel many hours at deir prie-dieux to-night—po' t'ings!"
"An' yo' wife—she also, of co'se—"
"My wife?" The man chuckled. "Pff! Ah, no! She is at de opera. She knows I am watching de river. She believe it cannot run over so long I watch it. I married her yo'ng. Dat's de bes' way.
"Mais, tell de trut', Adolphe, I am going to church, me, after dis. Dere's not'ing, after all, like God to stand in wid you! You hear me, I tell you to-night de rizzen our women keep good an' happy—it is faith. You know da's true."
"Yas, I believe you, Felix. An' me, I t'ink I will go, too. Any'ow, I'll show up at Easter communion. An' dat's a soon promise, too. T'ree week las' Sunday it will be here.
"All my yard is w'ite wid dem Easter lilies already. Dis soon spring compel dem. Wen you smell doze Bermudas above de roses in your garden in de middle of Lent, look out for Old Lady Mississippi. She is getting ready to spread her flounces over yo' fields—"
"Yas, an' to dance on yo' family graves. You may say w'at you like, Adolphe—de ruling lady of dis low valley country, it is not de Carnival Queen; it is not de first lady at de Governor's Mansion. It is—let us raise our hats—it is Old Lady Mississippi! She is de ruling lady of de Gulf country—old mais forever yo'ng.