'Why air Mirandy Jane called ter l'arn how ter cook vittles?' he demanded, irrelevantly, it might have seemed.
She looked at him in deprecating surprise. Yet she turned at bay.
'I hev never hearn ez ye war convicted yerself, Rick Tyler!' she said tartly. 'Ye war never so much ez seen a-scoutin' round the mourner's bench. Ef I hev got no religion, ye hev got none, nuther.'
'Ye air minded ter git married, D'rindy Cayce,' he said severely, solving his own problem, 'an' that's why Mirandy Jane hev got ter be l'arned ter take yer place at home.'
He produced this as if it were an accusation.
She drew back, indignant and affronted, and with a rigid air of offended propriety.
'I hev no call ter spen' words 'bout sech ez that with a free-spoken man like you-uns,' she staidly asseverated; and then she was about to move on.
Accepting her view of the gross unseemliness of his mention of the subject, the young fellow's anger gave way to contrition.
'Waal, D'rindy,' he said, in an eager, apologetic tone,' I hev seen that critter, that thar preacher, a-hangin' round you-uns's house a powerful deal lately, whilst I hev been obleeged ter hide out in the woods. An' bein' ez nobody thar owns up ter needin' religion but ye, I reckoned he war a-tryin' ter git ye ter take him an' grace tergether. That man hev got his mouth stuffed chock-full o' words—more 'n enny other man I ever see,' he added, with an expression of deep disgust.
Dorinda might be thought to abuse her opportunities.