I murmured my low thanks, blushing as usual under flattery.
Vesty was talking brilliantly with some of the company, quite away from me. She had a bright, disdainful look, when I chanced to glance that way, new to her, but quite befitting—ah me! ah me!—some lady one might dream of, of high, disdainful quality.
"Ain't he a case neow to describe anything in natur'?" joyfully reiterated Captain Leezur to Uncle Coffin.
Uncle Coffin, with his hands on his knees, shook his head at me, finding no words quite to the mark.
"Dodrabbit ye!" said he; "you sly young dog, you!"
"That's what I tell him!" rippled the deep-gurgling brook of Captain Leezur's voice; "we're jest like nateral twin-brothers. Only," he added tenderly and gravely, "he ain't nigh so ongodly as I use' ter be."
"Ongodly! Why, dodrabbit ye, Leezur!" said this native Artichoke, "ye never done an ongodly thing in yer life—'cept, maybe," he added, "to cuss a little when ye was fishin' for the bucket."
"'Specially," said Captain Leezur intelligently, "when the women folks has been thar afore ye, r'ilin' the water and jabbin' of her furder deown."
Uncle Coffin gave me an irresistible but a loving and true, not a malicious, wink.
"Speakin' o' women folks, Leezur," said he, "is there any news from Lot's wife?"