"
Here Mr. Christopher--Hester had not now heard his name for the first
time, though she had never seen him before--turned, and approached them.
"She'll be all right in a minute or two, Franks," he said.
"You told her, doctor, the boy ain't got the smallest hurt? It 'ud break
my heart nigh as soon as hers to see the Sarpint come to grief."
"She knows that well enough; only, you see, we can't always help letting
the looks of things get a hold of us in spite of the facts. That's how
so many people come to go out of their wits. But I think for the present
it will be better to drop it."
Franks turned to Hester to explain.
"One of the boys, miss--that's him--not much of him--the young Sarpint
of the Prairie, we call him in the trade--he don't seem to ha' much
amiss with him, do he now, miss?--he had a bit of a fall--only on them
pads--a few minutes ago, the more shame to the Sarpint, the rascal!"
Here he pretended to hit the Sarpint, who never moved a coil in
consequence, only smiled. "But he ain't the worse, never a hair--or a
scale I should rather say, to be kensistent. Bless you, we all knows how
to fall equally as well's how to get up again! Only it's the most
remarkable thing, an' you would hardly believe it of any woman, miss,
though she's been married fourteen years come next Candlemas, an' use
they say's a second natur', it's never proved no second nor no third
natur' with her, for she's got no more used to seein' the children, if
it's nothin' but standin' on their heads, than if it was the first time
she'd ever heard o' sich a thing.
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