human
Hullo! Mary!
gpt
Safe, all safe,
human
Is the lad March safe too?
gpt
All right, answered the youth for himself,
human
Patience, lad, patience. That's one o' the vartues, I believe; leastwise, so I'm told. Ah, it's caught at last. (Hand me that dry stuff on the south shelf, Mary; ye can find it i' the dark, I doubt not.) Yes, it's a vartue, but I can't boast o' having much o't myself. I dun know much about it from 'xperience, d'ye see? There, now, we'll git things put to rights, he added, applying the kindled spark to some dry chips and producing a flame, with which he ignited a pine-knot, and stuck it blazing in a cleft in the rock.
gpt
Just see what them reptiles ha' done to me. If it wasn't that I'm a good-tempered feller, I b'lieve I'd git angry. See, March, boy, there's a shelf in the corner that's escaped the flood. Lie ye down there, while Mary and me puts the place in order.
human
I'd rather help you, said March dismally.
gpt
I don't b'lieve it can make me worse, an' perhaps it'll make me better. I wonder what in the world pain was made for.
human
Ye'll only be in our way, lad. Lie down,