"She scolded me.

She said....

But, anyway, I coaxed her not to tell on me." "I want to know what she said," spoke up the rider, deliberately.
Lucy blushed, and it was a consciousness of confusion as well as Slone's tone that made her half-angry.
"She said when I was found out there'd be a--a great fuss at the Ford.
There would be talk.

Auntie said I'm now a grown-up girl....

Oh, she carried on! ...