"Now, Maggie, dear, tell me all about it. Begin at the beginning, and then I'll know where you're at."
Maggie smiled faintly. "Sure, I wouldn't blame you for not knowin' where I'm at." Mrs. McCann sniffed several times prefatorily.
"You know I told you Jim had a temper, Aileen—"
Aileen nodded in assent; she was busy coaxing the rejected ball into Billy's puckered mouth.
"—And that there's times whin he querrels wid the men—"
"Yes."
"Well, you know Mr. Googe bein' in the same shed an' section wid Jim, I says innercent-like to Jim:—'I'm glad he's in your section, Jim, belike you can make it a bit aisier for him.'
"'Aisy is it?' says Jim.
"'Yes, aisy,' says I.
"'An' wot wud I be after makin' a job aisier for the likes of him?' he says, grouchy-like.