George glanced timidly toward Ellen in hopes, apparently, that his prowess would meet the same favour from her as from the others.
Ellen caught his look and instantly tightened her lips in disgust. "I think it's perfectly disgraceful to get in fights!"
Under the scorn of her words George withered into silence. Terence rallied instantly to his defence. He turned on his older sister angrily. "Aw, go dry up, you old school-teacher!"
"I'm not an old school-teacher!" Ellen cried. "And you just stop calling me names! Ma, Terence is calling me an old school-teacher and you don't say a thing!"
Mrs. O'Brien looked at her son reprovingly. "Why, Terry lad, I'm surprised at you callin' your poor sister Ellen a thing like that! You know as well as I that she's not an old school-teacher."
"Well, anyway," Terence growled, "she talks like one."
Rosie's wild spirits, meantime, had vanished. She sighed heavily. "Say, Jarge, wisht I was a boy."
George looked at her kindly. "What makes you say that, Rosie?"
"Oh, nuthin'. Only I know some stiffs I'd like to try a chin-chopper on."
George eyed her a little uneasily. "Aw, now, Rosie, you oughtn't to talk that way. You're a girl and 'tain't ladylike for girls to fight."