She herself felt ashamed of having so soon given the lie to her own words of bravado; but she was woman enough not to admit her mortification.
"I know he's a palaverin' fool's well's you do; but I reckon I've got some manners o' my own, 's well's he.

When a man bids me a pleasant good-mornin', I ain't a-goin' to take that time to fly out at him, however much I've got agin him." And Reuben was silenced.

The under-current of ill-feeling against Stephen and his mother went steadily on increasing.

There is a wonderful force in these slow under-currents of feeling, in small communities, for or against individuals.

After they have once become a steady tide, nothing can check their force or turn their direction.