Miss Clegg paused briefly, and her eyes became particularly wide open.
Mrs. Lathrop was all attention.

"Mrs. Lathrop, you ain't lived next to me 'n' known me in 'n' out 'n'
hind 'n' front all these years not to know 't I 'm pretty sharp. I
ain't been cheated mor' 'n twice 'n my life, 'n' one o' them times was
n't my fault, for it was printed on the band 't it would wash. Such
bein' the case, 'n' takin' the minister into consideration, I do
consider 't _no_ man would 'a' supposed 't he could get the better o'
me. It's a sad thing to have to own to, 'n' if I was anybody else in
kingdom come I 'd never own to it till I got there; but my way is to
live open 'n' aboveboard, 'n' so to my shame be 't told 't the
minister--with all 't he's got eight children 'n' I ain't even
married--is certainly as sharp as me. Last night when I see him comin'
up the walk I never 'd 'a' believed 's he c'd get away again so easy,
but it just goes to show what a world o' deceit this is, 'n' seein' 's
I have father to clean from his windows aroun' to-day, I 'll ask you
to excuse me 'f I don't draw the subjeck out none, but jus' remark
flat 'n' plain 't there ain't no chance o' my _ever_ marryin' the
minister. You may consider that a pretty strong statement, Mrs.
Lathrop, 'n' I don't say myself but 't with any other man there might
be a hereafter, but it was me 'n' not anybody else as see his face
last night, 'n' seein' his face 'n' bein' a woman o' more brains 'n
falls to the lot of yourself 'n' the majority, I may just as well say
once for all that, 's far 's the minister's concerned, I sh'll never
be married to _him_."

"What did he--" began Mrs. Lathrop.