Aileen tried to comfort.

"But, Maggie, such things will happen in the happiest married lives, and
with the best of husbands. Jim will get over it--I suppose he has by
this time; you say it isn't like to him to hold anger long--"

"But he hasn't!" Maggie broke forth afresh, and between mother and son,
who immediately followed suit, a deluge threatened. "Wan of the
stone-cutters' wives, Mrs. MacLoughanchan, he works in the same section
as Jim, told me about it--"

"About what?" Aileen asked, hoping to get some continuity into Maggie's
relation of her marital woes.

"The fight at the sheds."

"What fight?" Aileen put the question with a sickening fear at her
heart.

"The fight betwixt Jim an' Mr. Googe--"

"What do you mean, Maggie?"

"I mane wot I say," Maggie replied with some show of spirit, for
Aileen's tone of voice was peremptory; "Jim McCann, me husband, an' Mr.
Googe had words in the shed--"

"What words?"

"Just lave me time an' I'll tell you, Aileen. You be after catchin' me
short up betwixt ivery word, an' more be token as if't was your own man,
instid of mine, ye was worrittin' about. I said they had words, but by
rights I should say it was Jim as had them. Jim was mad because the boss
in Shed Number Two give Mr. Googe a piece of work he had been savin' an'
promisin' him; an' Jim made a fuss about it, an' the boss said he'd give
Jim another, but Jim wanted _that wan piece_; an' Jim threatened to get
up a strike, an' if there's a strike Jim'll lave the place an' I'll lose
me home--ochone--"

"Go on, Maggie." Aileen was trying to anticipate Maggie's tale, and in
anticipation of the worst happening to Champney Googe, she lost her
patience. She could not bear the suspense.

"But Jim didn't sass the boss--he sassed Mr. Googe. 'T was this way, so
Mrs. MacLoughanchan says--Jim said niver a word about the fight to me,
but he said he would lave the place if they didn't strike--Mr. Googe
says, 'McCann, the foreman says you're to begin on the two keystones at
wanct--at wanct,' says he, repating it because Jim said niver a word.
An' Jim fires up an' says under his breath:

"'I don't take no orders from convic's,' says he.

"'What did you say, McCann?' says Mr. Googe, steppin' up to him wid a
glint in his eye that Jim didn't mind he was so mad; an' instid of
repatin' it quiet-like, Jim says, steppin' outside the shed when he see
the boss an' Mr. Googe followin' him, loud enough for the whole shed to
hear