Mr.Byars would not join them, so Tammas had himself married by Jimmy Pawse, the gay little gypsy king, and after that the minister re-married them.

The marriage over the tongs is a thing to scandalise any well-brought-up person, for before he joined the couple's hands, Jimmy jumped about in a startling way, uttering wild gibberish, and after the ceremony was over there was rough work, with incantations and blowing on pipes.

Tammas always held that this marriage turned out better than he had expected, though he had his trials like other married men.

Among them was Chirsty's way of climbing on to the dresser to get at the higher part of the plate-rack.
One evening I called in to have a smoke with the stone-breaker, and while we were talking Chirsty climbed the dresser.

The next moment she was on the floor on her back, wailing, but Tammas smoked on imperturbably.