The words seemed to stick in his throat, for at the best Jan was never a speaker.

In short, he made a fool of himself as usual, and I had to fill up the gaps in his head.
Well, I talked nicely enough till in an evil moment I overdid it a little by speaking of Ralph as one whom Heaven had sent to us, and of whose birth and parents we knew nothing.

Then Jan found his tongue and said: "Wife, that's a lie, and you know it," for, doubtless, the Hollands and the peach-brandy had got the better of his reason and his manners.

I did not answer him at the time, for I hate wrangling in public, but afterwards I spoke to him on the subject once and for all.
Luckily, the _predicant_ took no notice of this incident, for he was thinking about himself as he was too prone to do.
Then, to make matters worse, Suzanne must needs throw her arms round her father's neck and begin to cry--thanks be to my bringing up of her, she knew better than to throw them round mine.

"Good Lord!" I said, losing my temper, "what is the girl at now?
She has got the husband for whom she has been craving, and the first thing she does is to snivel.