"How clever of you to know that!" she said.
"No, I'm not clever." Tersely he contradicted her.

"Old Swag at The Three Tuns says I'm the village idiot." "What a horrid old man!" she exclaimed almost involuntarily.
He nodded his heavy head.

"Yes, I knocked him down the other day, and kicked him for it.

Dicky caned me afterwards,--I'm not supposed to go to The Three Tuns--but I was glad I'd done it all the same." "Well, who is Dicky ?" she asked again.

Her interest was growing.
He glared at her with sudden suspicion.