“I was not going to call him,” I retorted. “Why should I?”
“Because you’re scarred about what I’m going to do to thee.”
“No, I’m not,” I replied boldly; “because you daren’t do anything unless it’s in the dark, when you can attack a man behind his back.”
He winced at this and scowled, but turned it off with a laugh.
“’Tack a what?” he said.
“A boy, then,” I cried. “I know I’m a boy; but I meant people generally.”
“Nivver you mind that,” he said. “You don’t understand trade. But joost you look there. Yow’ve been saying I did some’at to the dog.”
“That I have not,” I cried.
“Ay, but you did say it,” he repeated fiercely.
“I did not say so,” I cried almost as angrily; “but if I had said it, I don’t suppose I should have been far wrong.”