And then rising to his stockinged feet, his face hard and all his irony gone, he added, "But I'm my own man, too, and this is my own house, I'm thinking, and if you're not home for eleven o'clock to-night, my door will be shut on you."
Bessie leapt up from the table.
"Shut your door if you like. There'll be lots of ones to open theirs," she cried, and swept out of the house.
"There you are, woman!" said Dan. "What did I say? Imperent uncommon and dirty with the tongue! She'll have to clane it this time though. If she's not back for eleven she'll take the road and no more two words about it."
Mrs. Collister struggled to her feet and followed Bessie, pretending she had forgotten something.
"Bessie! Bessie!"
Bessie stopped at the end of the "street" and her mother hobbled up to her.
"Be home for eleven, bogh," she whispered. "It's freckened mortal I am that himself has some bad schame on."
"What schame?" asked Bessie.
"I don't know what, but something, so give him no chance."