But from that day he began slowly but steadily to
get well.
We kept Senda with us as long as we could, and when at length she put her
foot down so that you might have heard it--say like the dropping of a nut
in the wood--and declared that go she must-must-must! we first laughed,
then scoffed, and then grew violent, and the battle forced her backward.
But when we tried to salary her to stay, _she_ laughed, scoffed, grew
violent, and retook her entrenchments. And then, when she offered the
ultimatum that we must take pay for keeping her, we took our turn again at
the three forms of demonstration, and a late moon rose upon a drawn
battle. Since then we have learned to count it one of our dearest rights
to get "put out" at Senda's outrageous reasonableness, but she doesn't
fret, for "sare is neveh any sundeh viss se lightening."
The issue of this first contest was decided the next day by Fontenette,
still on his bed of convalescence. "Can I raise enough money in yo' office
to go at France?"
"You can raise twice enough, Fontenette, if it's to try to bring back some
new business."
"Well--yes, 'tis for that. Of co'se, besides--"
"Yes, I know: of course."
"But tha'z what puzzle' me. What I'm going do with that house heah, whilse
I'm yondeh! I wou'n' sell it--ah no! I wou'n' sell one of those roses! An'
no mo' I wou'n' rent it.
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