human
Come, put the paints away and wipe the brushes carefully. Come tell me a story and then, dear man, I’ll stir you some maple and put in a lot of nuts. Oh! but I will make it good.
gpt
There’s one story I’d like to tell you, little woman,
human
And that is what?
gpt
A story of a man and woman.
human
Go on, go on, Donelle urged.
gpt
That will be the best of all.
human
You bet it will!
gpt
I’m coming over to take you in my arms and kiss you, sweet!
human
Well, why don’t you? And then we can tell Mamsey.
gpt
Shall I come to you, dear man?
human
I trust you now. I beg your pardon because I once did not. I will come half the way.
gpt
My sweet, when I take you in my arms to tell you the story I mean to tell you, I will come all the way! Now stir the syrup, you hard little bargainer. Throw in an extra handful of nuts for the crimes you commit but know not of.
human
And now you are laughing!
gpt
Far from it, I’m thinking of swearing.
human
At what?
gpt
If anything happened to you,
human
What would you do?
gpt
I’d go—don’t look at me that way, Donelle—I’d go to St. Michael’s-on-the-Rocks.