"I don't know as anybody has told him, Mis' Mansfield."
"Won't seem like a meetin', ef we don't hev' him."
"He's gone down to Elmfield," said Miss Gunn. "He went down along in the forenoon some time. Gone to see his cousin, I s'pose."
"They've got their young soldier home to Elmfield," said Miss Barry. "I s'pect they're dreadful sot up about it."
"They don't want that," said Mrs. Boddington. "The Knowltons always did carry their heads pretty well up, in the best o' times; and now Evan's got home, I s'pose there'll be no holding 'em in. There ain't, I guess, by the looks."
"What'll he do now? stay to hum and help his gran'ther?"
"La! no. He's home just for a visit. He's got through his education at the Military Academy, and now he's an officer; out in the world; but he'll have to go somewhere and do his work."
"I wonder what work they do hev' to do?" said Mrs. Salter; "there ain't nobody to fight now, is there?"
"Fight the Injuns," said Mrs. Boddington; "or the Mexicans; or the
English may be; anything that comes handy."
"But we hain't no quarrel with the English, nor nobody, hev' we? I thought we was done fightin' for the present," said Miss Barry in a disturbed tone of voice.