“Eh! don’t vex Martha,” said one of the men. “She’ll promise not to split, I’ll answer for it. Won’t you, Martha?”
“Eh, for sure,” said Martha, “if you’re bound to have your talk here, you needn’t be afraid of me; only I hope you’re not going to do anything as’ll bring us into trouble.”
“Never fear,” said her husband; “there, sit you down and mend your stockings, and the less you heed us the less you’ll have to afterthink.”
The men then began to talk together in a loudish whisper.
“Tommy Jacky’ll be making a fine tale about you and me,” said Jones. “Eh, what a sighing and groaning there will be; and then we shall see in the papers, ‘Mr Johnson finished his speech amidst loud applause.’”
“Eh, but we must put a stopper in his mouth,” said another.
“But how must we do it?” asked a third. “Thomas is not the chap to be scared out of what he’s made up his mind to.”
“No,” remarked another; “and there’s many a one as’d stand by him if we were to try anything strong.”
“Can’t we shame him at the meeting?” asked another.
“Nay,” said Jones, “he’s gradely. You couldn’t shame him by telling folks what he was; and all as knows him knows as he’s kept his teetottal strict enough.”