"Come right here and sit down, and get a good warm before you take off your things. Make yourself comfortable, sez I! never mind looks," said Miss Sibby, drawing chairs close to the hearth for her half frozen guests.
"So Roland has come home, I hear, Miss Sibby," began Mrs. Hedge, as she stretched her benumbed fingers over the fire.
"Yes, he has, safe and sound; thanks be to the Lord! He got home the very selfsame day that young Le Force arrove; though nyther of them knowed anything about the other's coming 'til they met by accident at old Luke Barriere's store. Now, wasn't that a coinference? 'Truth is stranger nor friction,' sez I."
"Is he going to sea again, Miss Sibby?" inquired Miss Grandiere.
"Well, I reckon sooner or later he must go, if he won't do nothing else. A young youth must do something for a living, sez I; and if he don't do one thing he must do another, sez I. But I do hope next time as he may get a berth along of your brother George. When is Capting Grandiere expected home?"
"I don't know. He was at Rio de Janeiro when we heard from him last."
"Ah me! so far as that? That's on the coast of Guinea, ain't it?"
"Well, Lord knows that's far enough. I did hope as the _Kitty_ would be coming home soon, and Roland could get a berth 'long o' Capting Grandiere. But there's nothing but disappointment in this world, sez I!"
"The worst case of disappointment I know of is that of poor young Leonidas Force!" said Mrs. Hedge.
"Now ain't it, though" chimed in Miss Sibby.
"To come home to meet his sweetheart, and find her just about to be married to another man!"
"And him a furriner! That's what makes me sick! A furriner! Them as has the least to do with furriners, sez I, comes the best off, sez I! It's all the gal's fault, too! She fell in love along of this furriner! And her father, he give in to her, 'cause she cried and took on! But, Lor'! what could you expect of the young thing, sez I? 'Trot sire, trot dam,' sez I, 'the colt will never pace,' sez I! And you may take my word for that."
"What do you mean, Miss Sibby? How do you apply the proverb to this case?" inquired Miss Grandiere.
"Why, don't you see? What did her daddy do? 'Stead o' marrying of some old neighbor's darter, like you, Miss Sukey----"