‘And who gets most out of it, I’d like to know?’ replied her mother. ‘Don’t be such a fool! Can’t you see as it’ll come easier from you? A nice thing for his mother-in-law to tell him! If you don’t like to do it the first day, then leave it to the second, or third. But if you take my advice, you’ll get it over the next morning.’
‘You’ll have to do it yourself,’ Clem repeated stubbornly, propping her chin upon her fists.
‘Well, I never thought as you was such a frightened babby! Frightened of a feller like him! I’d be ashamed o’ myself!’
‘Who’s frightened? Hold your row!’
‘Why, you are; what else?’
‘I ain’t!’
‘You are!’
‘I ain’t! You’d better not make me mad, or I’ll tell him before, just to spite you.’
‘Spite me, you cat! What difference ’ll it make to me? I’ll tell you what: I’ve a jolly good mind to tell him myself beforehand, and then we’ll see who’s spited.’
In the end Clem yielded, shrugging her shoulders defiantly.