“Not in beaus,” said Judy shrewdly. “And I’m minding that the yard at the Bay Shore used to be full of rigs on Sunday afternoons, young Alec Gardiner’s among them. Don’t be forgetting you were once young, Long Alec. We’ll all have a bit av quiet fun be times watching the antics. Were ye hearing what happened to Just Dog last Sunday afternoon whin one av the young Shortreed sprouts…Lloyd I’m thinking his name was…was sitting on the front porch steps, looking kind av holy and solemn, for all the world like his ould Grandfather Shortreed at prayer mating. Sure and the poor baste…not maning Lloyd…met up wid a rat in the stone dyke behind the church barn and cornered it. But me Mr. Rat put up a fight and clamped his teeth in Just Dog’s jaw. Such howling ye niver did be hearing as he tore across the yard and through me kitchen and the hall and out past the young fry on the steps and through me bed av petunias. Roaring down the lane he wint, the rat still houlding on tight. The girls wint into kinks and Tillytuck come bucketing out, rale indignant, and saying, the divil himsilf must have got inty the modern rats. ‘Oh, oh,’ sez I, ‘don’t be spaking so flippant av the divil, Mr. Tillytuck. He’s an ancient ould lad and shud be rispicted,’ sez I. Lloyd Shortreed looked rale shocked.”

“And no wonder. I don’t hold with such goings-on in my house on Sunday.”

“Sure and who cud be hilping it?” protested Judy. “It was Just Dog’s doings intirely, going rat-hunting on Sunday. Before that the young fry were all quiet and sober-like. As for Tillytuck and his langwidge, iverybody do be knowing him. It’s well known he didn’t larn it at Silver Bush. Just Dog did be coming back later on wid no rat attached, rale meek and chastened-like. Lloyd hasn’t been back since and good riddance. The Shortreeds do be having no sinse av humor.”

“Lloyd’s a very decent fellow,” said Long Alec shortly.

“And that cliver wid his needle,” added Judy slyly. “He did be piecing a whole quilt whin he was but four years ould and he’s niver been able to live it down. His mother brings it out and shows it round whiniver company comes.”

Long Alec got up and went out. He knew he was no match for Judy.