"It is great consolation, a grave. It is a half-way station between de home an' de church; an' a widow she need dat—for a w'ile.
"Tell you de trut', w'en I take time to t'ink, Adolphe, sometimes I am ashame'. So long I am prosperous I am all for dis worl'; den, w'en somet'ing come, like now, an' t'row me on my knees, I feel cheap befo' God, yas. Mais, wid de river so, w'at can a man do if he cannot pray? So, after to-night's experience, I am at home wid my li'l' family by eleven o'clock every night, sure."
"'Ow much chillen you got now, Felix? You go too fas' for my 'rit'metic."
"Oh, no, not too fas'—just fas' enough. Only nine in over ten year—mos' eleven year. Only six, by right. I engage for six; mais w'at can a man do w'en his lady present him wid one extra, once in a w'ile! I am de las' one to make remark on her for dat, too, biccause I come dat way myself—following behind Felicité. Twins, dey run in some families; an' you know now I am coming to like dem. Dey are so sociable, twins."
"Ah, my friend, you have plenty occasion to be one good man."
"Occasion! I am blessed. T'ink all I have got to be t'ankful! I got my mudder, my mud'-in-law, my fad'-in-law—all riligious people an' good—an' nine li'tl' one, like six stair-steps wid t'ree landings for de accommodation of de twins." He chuckled. "Yas, an' I am going to be good. No more dem soubrette supper for me. An' dem danse de—
"Mais wait! W'at is dat?"
A bell had rung, and a voice was calling out the depth of the water as shown upon a graduated scale marked low down against the pier. The announcement was half-hourly now.
"W'at he say? T'irteen inches an' a—Dat's a half-inch fall. T'ank God! Maybe St. Joseph an' our women dey save us yet, Adolphe."
"Yas, maybe. Mais I t'ink de winter is full broke in Minnesota, too. No more dat confoun' ice to melt. I looked sure for de water to fall down yesterday. Any'ow, one half-inch is hope. Here, take one cigar. I can smoke, me, on dat half-inch. You got any matches, Felix?"