g, what are
_you_ doing? If a man wasn't keeping you to suit himself, how would
you be earning your living? I could earn my living the same way as you
are doing to-morrow if I liked; but of the two, I think my present
occupation is the decentest and less dependent. Apart from your
bullying selfishness, a nice sensible way you have of talking! If you
killed off the men, who would you have to keep you? And that's a nice
civilised way to speak about your fellow creatures anyhow; whether
they be men or black gins, they've just as much place in the scheme of
creation as you have. We would have been a long time getting the vote
or any other decent right if the men were like you. It's because you
are the same stamp as so many of the men that we've been kept down so
long as we have; and now, what about me taking up with Larry Witcom?"

"Well, it's well known what Larry is."

"Well, what is he?"

"You ask him about Mrs Park's divorce case."

"I hope you don't think your old man is a saint, do you? As big a fool
as you are, you're surely not fool enough for that, are you? Perhaps
he isn't as clean a potato as Larry if it was all brought out."

"But he's a married man this many a year, with a married daughter, and
his young days are lived down long ago."

"Well, so would Larry be married many a year and have things lived
down in time, and not as many to live down either as your husband has
at present, if things are true; for all your everlasting shepherding
he gets off the chain sometimes."

Hoity-toity! this was putting a fuse to gunpowder.

"You hussy! What have you got to say about my husband? Prove it, and
I'd make short work of him; and if it's lies, I'll bring you into
court for it."

"I'll leave it for you to prove; you're one of those who thinks every
yarn entertaining till they touch yourself."

"Two to one on Carry every time when me grandma's the umpire," grinned
Andrew round the corner.

"Carry, you've had enough to say. I forbid any more in my house," said
grandma, rising to order.

"I declare this a drawn fight," said Andrew.

"You can have it out with Mrs Bray in her own house if you want, but
no more of it here," continued grandma.

"Don't you dare come to my house," said Mrs Bray.

"_Your_ house! no fear; I never associate with scandal-mongers,"
contemptuously retorted Carry, as Mrs Bray made a precipitate
departure, emitting something about a hussy who didn't know her place
as she went.

"I'