"But he hasn't!" Maggie broke forth afresh, and between mother and son, who immediately followed suit, a deluge threatened. "Wan of the stone-cutters' wives, Mrs. MacLoughanchan, he works in the same section as Jim, told me about it--" "About what?" Aileen asked, hoping to get some continuity into Maggie's relation of her marital woes. "The fight at the sheds." "What fight?" Aileen put the question with a sickening fear at her heart. "The fight betwixt Jim an' Mr. Googe--" "What do you mean, Maggie?" "I mane wot I say," Maggie replied with some show of spirit, for Aileen's tone of voice was peremptory; "Jim McCann, me husband, an' Mr. Googe had words in the shed--" "What words?" "Just lave me time an' I'll tell you, Aileen. You be after catchin' me short up betwixt ivery word, an' more be token as if't was your own man, instid of mine, ye was worrittin' about. I said they had words, but by rights I should say it was Jim as had them. Jim was mad because the boss in Shed Number Two give Mr. Googe a piece of work he had been savin' an' promisin' him; an' Jim made a fuss about it, an' the boss said he'd give Jim another, but Jim wanted _that wan piece_; an' Jim threatened to get up a strike, an' if there's a strike Jim'll lave the place an' I'll lose me home--ochone--" "Go on, Maggie." Aileen was trying to anticipate Maggie's tale, and in anticipation of the worst happening to Champney Googe, she lost her patience. She could not bear the suspense. "But Jim didn't sass the boss--he sassed Mr. Googe. 'T was this way, so Mrs. MacLoughanchan says--Jim said niver a word about the fight to me, but he said he would lave the place if they didn't strike--Mr. Googe says, 'McCann, the foreman says you're to begin on the two keystones at wanct--at wanct,' says he, repating it because Jim said niver a word. An' Jim fires up an' says under his breath: "'I don't take no orders from convic's,' says he. "'What did you say, McCann?' says Mr. Googe, steppin' up to him wid a glint in his eye that Jim didn't mind he was so mad; an' instid of repatin' it quiet-like, Jim says, steppin' outside the shed when he see the boss an' Mr. Googe followin' him, loud enough for the whole shed to hear: '"I don't take orders from no convic's--' an' then--" Maggie laid her hand suddenly over her heart as if in pain, '"Take that back, McCann,' says Mr. Googe--'I'll give you the wan chanct.'--An' then Jim swore an' said he'd see him an' himself in hell first, an' then, before Jim knew wot happened, Mr. Googe lit out wid his fist--an' Jim layin' out on the grass, for Mrs. MacLoughanchan says her man said Mr. Googe picked a soft place to drop him in; an' Mr. Googe helps Jim to his feet, an' holds out his hand an' says: "'Shake hands, McCann, an' we'll start afresh--'