"And I say I don't care—"
"Well, you heard that anyway," he shouted again diabolically; "here 's another: they say—"
"Keep still; the whole village can hear you—"
"We 're not within a mile of the village; take your fingers out of your ears if you don't want me to shout."
"Not till you stop shouting." He lowered his voice then, and I unstopped my ears.
"I say, Marcia, I believe it's all a rotten lot of damned gossip—"
"Why, Jamie Macleod! I never heard you use so strong an expression."
"I don't care; it's my way of letting off steam. Mother is n't round."
We both laughed and grew good-humored again.
"I never thought a Scotsman, who takes porridge regularly at nine o'clock every evening, could swear—"