He dropped his knife with a clatter on his plate in sheer fright, starting back as far as he could as she leered into his face. It was a moment before he could recover sufficiently to reply in a rather quavery un-lord-like way, "Oh, er, what is it then?"
Thunderously: "Eturrnal Life."
The Stranger kept his temper, an irritating thing to do.
"How do you know, Miss Vickary, that I have no chance of eternal life?"
On such mild opposition anger feeds. She raised her voice to a kind of bass shriek, dropping her aitches generously.
"'Ow do I know young man, 'ow do I know? If you 'ad eternal life, if you 'ad accepted the Lord, you'd talk about 'Is grace and goodness a little more bravely, and not look like a silly sheep when 'eavenly things are spoken of. Ugh, I know you shame-faced professin' Christians, who blush when you 'ear the word Jesus, and never dare to roll the 'oly word on your tongue, I know 'ee! 'Ow do I know?— If you 'ad eternal life you'd not be mocking at a poor lowly Brother who 'as a 'undredfold better chances of it than you, with yer 'oh-er-ah-excellent little fellow in the corner with a difficult accent doncherknow.' Ow do I know? If you 'ad the Lord you'd be a bit readier to talk about Him and testify to 'Is grace. Don't tell me!"—she poked her head into his face for a final thunderous shout,—"By their fruits ye shall know them!"
Grandmother looked troubled, seeking a chance to intervene. The Stranger set his face like flint and determined to keep his temper, though she should scalp him with the knife she was brandishing in his face. He spoke very quietly.
"Miss Vickary, one moment please, what do you know of my fruits? After all we have met for the first time today."
His calm, his common-sense, were fuel to the fire. She thumped the table with the butt end of her knife till it shook.
"Silence, youth, silence! Am I not seventy-two years of age, and ye but twenty-one? In my young days youth respected age, rank or no rank. I tell 'ee plainly: you're a miserable sinner. Learn to mind your manners with those who're older than yourself; learn not to mock at them of humbler station—"