sed through the native mind:

"He said, I like as it was what you would call a young gal's blush at a
kiss round a corner."

The epicurean baronet had the habit of talking in that way.

Herbert drank to his memory. He was well-filled; he had no work to do,
and he was exuberant in spirits, as Mrs. Crickledon knew her countrymen
should and would be under those conditions. And suddenly he drew his hand
across a forehead so wrinkled and dark, that Mrs. Crickledon exclaimed,
"Heart or stomach?"

"Oh, no," said he. "I'm sound enough in both, I hope."

"That old Tinman's up to one of his games," she observed.

"Do you think so?"

"He's circumventing Miss Annette Smith."

"Pooh! Crickledon. A man of his age can't be seriously thinking of
proposing for a young lady."

He's a well-kept man. He's never racketed. He had n't the rackets in him.
And she may n't care for him. But we hear things drop."

"What things have you heard drop, Crickledon? In a profound silence you
may hear pins; in a hubbub you may hear cannon-balls. But I never believe
in eavesdropping gossip."

"He was heard to say to Mr. Smith," Crickledon pursued, and she lowered
her voice, "he was heard to say, it was when they were quarreling over
that chiwal, and they went at one another pretty hard before Mr. Smith
beat him and he sold Mr. Smith that meadow; he was heard to say, there
was worse than transportation for Mr. Smith if he but lifted his finger.
They Tinmans have awful tempers. His old mother died malignant, though
she was a saving woman, and never owed a penny to a Christian a hour
longer than it took to pay the money. And old Tinman's just such
another."

"Transportation!" Herbert ejaculated, "that's sheer nonsense, Crickledon.
I'm sure your husband would tell you so."

"It was my husband brought me the words," Mrs. Crickledon rejoined with
some triumph. "He did tell me, I own, to keep it shut: but my speaking to
you, a friend of Mr. Smith's, won't do no harm. He heard them under the
battery, over that chiwal glass: 'And you shall pay,' says Mr. Smith, and
'I sha'n't,' says old Tinman. Mr. Smith said he would have it if he had
to squeeze a deathbed confession from a sinner. Then old Tinman fires
out, 'You!' he says, 'you' and he stammered. 'Mr. Smith,' my husband said
and you never saw a man so shocked as my husband at being obliged to hear
them at one another Mr. Smith used the word damn. 'You may laugh, sir.'"

"You say it so capitally,