Both Louise and Virgie were animated and happy, and Homer Winthrop had been dilating upon Waterville’s wonderful prosperity.
Presently the door opened, and Aunt Sally came in. “Good evenin’, Mr. Gilder,” said she, in her rich Southern accent, “I ‘low this is the happiest day of our lives.”
“Yes, indeed,” replied Vance, “we owe many apologies to your brother for our seeming lack of confidence in Gray Rocks.”
She looked at him quickly over her spectacles, and replied, “Lack of confidence, Mr. Gilder? I’d like to know who lacked confidence in my brother Benjamin’s mine! Fo’ myself, I have believed from the first that Benjamin would strike it if I could only keep him workin’ away long enough.”
Vance was non-plussed, and was about to reply, when the Colonel interposed. “Yo’ see, suh,” said he, with a knowing twinkle in his eye, “I have often obse’ved to yo’ that my sisteh is a most ext’ao’dina’y person; yes, suh, most ext’ao’dina’y indeed. She has been a powehful support to me, suh, in my effo’ts.”
This seemed to partially pacify Aunt Sally. Presently she said, “I ‘spect, Mr. Gilder, yo’ are thinkin’ ‘bout a convehsation we had a few months ago in regard to sinkin’ the shaft. Of cou’se yo’ didn’t know how much strategy I had to resort to that I might keep Benjamin from getting disheartened. Of cou’se I won’t allow nobody to say anythin’ against my brother, but I ‘low he is the contrariest man livin’, I do indeed, suh. Time and again I have been fo’ced to pretend that I was opposin’ him, just to make him go on work in’ and sinkin’ that shaft, but at last it is all over with, and I’ve much to be thankful fo’ that I was spared so that I could keep on naggin’ at Benjamin and spurrin’ him up, until finally his effo’ts were rewa’ded.” Soon after, she embraced Louise and Virgie tenderly, and retired.
When she was gone, the Colonel looked up from the crackling fire, into which he had been gazing long and earnestly, and said, “I presume, Mr. Gilder, my sisteh is without question one of the greatest characters that ever lived, I do indeed, suh. I’m discoverin’, even to this day, new traits of superio’ity and strength in her. Indeed, suh, she is no o’dina’y woman. Though bawn in the South, and possessin’ in a high degree the very great refinement peculiar to our Southern ladies, yet at the same time her diplomacy in accomplishin’ great results equals the shrewdest Nawthe’n Yankee. Indeed, suh, she is a most rema’kable character; yes, suh, most rema’kable.” A little later Homer and Virgie retired, pleading weariness. “Do you know,” said Colonel Bonifield, looking up from the fire again, “since our great discovery was made, I seem to want to do all my sleeping in the mawnin’.”
“Papa,” said Louise, “is too busy thinking over and over again his great good fortune to get sleepy; but my! how late he does sleep in the morning!”
“He has justly earned,” said Vance, “the rest he claims.’