"I mean about Mulready." "What do you mean ?" Ned said, stopping short and turning very white.
"Why," the lad said laughing, "all the town says he is going to marry your mother." Ned stood as if stupefied.

Then he sprang upon his companion and seized him by the throat.
"It's a lie," he shouted, shaking him furiously.

"It's a lie I say, Smithers, and you know it.

I will kill you if you don't say it's a lie." With a great effort Smithers extricated himself from Ned's grasp.
"Don't choke a fellow," he said.

"It may be a lie if you say it is, but it is not my lie anyhow.