“I shouldn’t mind that so much,” pursued Miss Cottle, “but——”
She paused dramatically to allow the full force of her remark to fall on the unsuspecting man.
“There’s been considerable talk in the village lately—about you and me. It’s come to me straight.”
“No!” exclaimed Peg, hastily gaining his legs and feeling for his pipe in his rear breeches pocket with agitated haste.
“Don’t you believe it, ma’am.”
“Can you deny,” intoned Miss Cottle strongly, “that the subject of your attentions to me was brought up and discussed in Hewett’s grocery store less than a week ago?”
“I said it wa’n’t so, ma’am; I told ’em the’ wa’n’t nothin’ in it.”
“You told them, Peleg Morrison? You denied that you intended to marry me? How could you?”
“W’y, ma’am, you know——”
“You should, at least, have afforded me the opportunity of denying the report—if it was to be denied.”