“Yes, that was romantic,” said Alison. “Ira did deliver her from the Blatant Beast, Pike Smith, you know. I do think that was a truly romance. Neal, do you know your grammar has suffered very much by your having been so long away. You were getting to speak quite like a gentleman when you went away.”
“Laws, child, I forget. It is so easy to drop into the way the other boys talk.”
“But it isn’t as if you didn’t know better, for you say you never used to talk so before you came to Texas. I shall have to take you in hand again.”
“I’m perfectly willing. I always enjoyed your taking me in hand.” He smiled reminiscently. “But I set my face agen——”
“Not agen; against.”
“Against your making me talk book talk. You can play all your tricks and call me anything you choose, and can make believe all you want to, but I’ll not be made to say, ‘Hence, lady, hence,’ and such bosh as they do in plays.”
Alison’s merry laugh rang out. “I won’t make you say that, and you needn’t talk booky if you don’t like. I shall be perfectly satisfied with good plain English as we speak it. Oh, you haven’t told me yet what you have brought me from Mexico.”
“I don’t mean to tell you yet.”
“Did you bring Christine something? If you did and it is prettier than my present I shall never forgive you.”
“I brought her some sort of foolishness, embroidery, I believe they call it.”