Her voice faltered. He sat there staring at her, never speaking a word and his silence disconcerted her.
"A perilous—" began Mrs. Hanson.
"Say—say it again, say it again!" Betty panted, "And I'll scream, I'll scream till I be dead. Say it, again!"
"And 'ee be my son Garge's child. Garge as were ever mild and quiet, and I be Garge's mother!" Up rose Mrs. Hanson. "I be Garge's mother and thy grandmother and I be the one to speak, Betty Hanson, and speak I will!" She lifted a strong arm and pointed a long, thick-jointed finger at the girl. "Marry him 'ee shall, and I say it! And wi' a good grace tu, and come to your senses, 'ee shall, my maid, if I break a stick over your back! And I'll hev no more o' these tantrums, no more of them, I say, a perilous bad and wicked maid 'ee be! Hev not Abram done we a great honour? Hev he not——"
"I'll kill myself before I marry him!" the girl said, but she said it without passion, only with an immense certainty in her voice.
Abram blinked, he stared at the ill smelling, newly lighted lamp.
"Listen to me, Betty Hanson. Here be Abram asking 'ee to marry 'ee and asking 'ee to name the day—answer!"
"I hev answered!"
"Answer as I order 'ee!"
"I shan't!"