But if you take my advice, you'll get it over the next morning.' 'You'll have to do it yourself,' Clem repeated stubbornly, propping her chin upon her fists.
'Well, I never thought as you was such a frightened babby! Frightened of a feller like him! I'd be ashamed o' myself!' 'Who's frightened?
Hold your row!' 'Why, you are; what else ?' 'I ain't!' 'You are!' 'I ain't! You'd better not make me mad, or I'll tell him before, just to spite you.' 'Spite _me_, you cat! What difference 'll it make to me?
I'll tell you what: I've a jolly good mind to tell him myself beforehand, and then we'll see who's spited.' In the end Clem yielded, shrugging her shoulders defiantly.
'I'll have a kitchen-knife near by when I tell him,' she remarked with decision.

'If he lays a hand on me I'll cut his face open, an' chance it!' Mrs.Peckover smiled with tender motherly deprecation of such extreme measures.

But Clem repeated her threat, and there was something in her eyes which guaranteed the possibility of its fulfilment.
No personal acquaintance of either the Peckover or the Snowdon family happened to glance over the list of names which hung in the registrar's office during these weeks.

The only interested person who had foreknowledge of Clem's wedding was Jane Snowdon, and Jane, though often puzzled in thinking of the matter, kept her promise to speak of it to no one.

It was imprudence in Clem to have run this risk, but the joke was so rich that she could not deny herself its enjoyment; she knew, moreover, that Jane was one of those imbecile persons who scruple about breaking a pledge.