Afterward as they sat for three hours and smoked
on the broad porch that looked out on the river, old Sylvanne,
who had evidently taken a fancy to Rolf, regaled them with a
long, rambling talk on "fellers and things," that was one of the
most interesting Rolf had ever listened to. At the time it was
simply amusing; it was not till years after that the lad realized
by its effect on himself, its insight, and its hold on his
memory, that Si Sylvanne's talk was real wisdom. Parts of it
would not look well in print; but the rugged words, the uncouth
Saxonism, the obscene phrase, were the mere oaken bucket in which
the pure and precious waters were hauled to the surface.
"Looked like he had ye pinched when that shyster got ye in to
Lyons Falls. Wall, there's two bad places for Jack Hoag; one is
where they don't know him at all, an' take him on his looks; an'
t'other is where they know him through and through for twenty
years, like we hev. A smart rogue kin put up a false front fer a
year or maybe two, but given twenty year to try him, for and bye,
summer an' winter, an' I reckon a man's make is pretty well
showed up, without no dark corners left unexplored.
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