"
"Sam's father is not too mean to do anything for Sam's welfare; but of
course, a general accusation is not convincing; should not be
convincing--Why!" said Dr. Lavendar, interrupting himself, "bless my
heart! I believe you mean that the boy is making sheep's-eyes at your
neighbor here on the hill? Is that it? Why, Benjamin, the best way to
cure that is to pay no attention to it."
"Sir," said Mr. Wright, sinking into his chair breathlessly, and
tapping the table with one veined old finger; "when I was a young man,
it was not thought proper to introduce the name of a female into a
discussion between gentlemen."
"Well," Dr. Lavendar admitted, "maybe not--when you were young. But
all of us young folks in Old Chester know perfectly well that Sam is
smitten, and we are ignoring it."
"What! His--_mother_ knows it?"
"His father knows it perfectly well," said Dr. Lavendar smiling.
Mr. Wright got up again, his fingers twitching with impatience.
"Lavendar," he began--another bird trilled, and snarling with
annoyance, he pulled the blue apron from the first cage and threw it
over the second. "These creatures drive me distracted! ... Lavendar,
to get Sam out of Old Chester, I might almost consent to see his--
_mother_, if there was no other way to accomplish it."
At that Dr. Lavendar stopped smiling. "Benjamin," he said solemnly,
"if any foolishness on the part of the boy brings you to such wisdom,
the hand of the Lord will be in it!"
"I don't want to see--his relations!" cried Benjamin Wright; "but
Sam's got to get away from this place for a while, and if you won't
persuade his--_mother_ to allow it, why I might be driven to
seeing--her.
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