He tried to laugh her out of her mood.
He chided her for joking with an Englishman at a critical moment such as their leave-taking.
"And it WAS a joke, Peg, wasn't it?"
"Sure, it was, father."
"You ought to have known betther than that. During all that long month ye were there did ye meet one Englishman that ever saw a joke?"
"Not many, father. Cousin Alaric couldn't."
"Did ye meet ONE?"
"I did, father."
"Ye did?"
"I did."