"When Tom's not there," snapped Grannie. "Got her hands full enough when
he is."

"I should imagine Tom would not be too easy to get on with at times.
Maybe he'll settle down now he's married."

"Doesn't sound like settling down sometimes," chirped the old lady
again.

"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that. She doesn't look bad-tempered."

"Tom's got more'n enough for the two of them."

"I'm afraid she finds it a change from what she's been accustomed to,"
said Mrs. Hamon quietly. "She came in once or twice, but her talk is of
things that don't interest us, and ours is of things that don't interest
her, so we can't get as friendly as we would like to be."

"And Tom?"

"Tom considers us all robbers, as he always has done. He gives us his
blackest face whenever he sees any of us."

"That's unpleasant, seeing you're such close neighbours."

"Yes, it's unpleasant, but we can't help it. It's just Tom. How is your
work getting on?"

"Not as I would wish," said Gard, with a gloomy wag of the head. "Your
Sark men are difficult--very difficult, and the others who ought to know