Robert Michael Ballantyne

Over the Rocky Mountains Robert Michael Ballantyne

Book Excerpt: ...ubt the nose on your face is very plain--the plainest I ever did see," said Maryann sharply, --"but you're quite wrong about Master Will, for he's very anxious to get married, I can tell you, an' wants to settle down at 'ome, like a sensible man, though it does grieve my 'eart to think of the creetur as has took him in in furrin parts.""Get married!" exclaimed Larry, Jemima, and Richards in the same breath."Yes, get married," replied Maryann, very full of the importance of her keyhole discoveries, and not willing to make them known too readily."How did you come to know that, Maryhann?" asked Jemima; "are you sure of it?""How I came for to know it," replied the other, "is nobody's business (she paused a moment and looked sternly at Richards, but that sensible man continued to gaze steadfastly at his plate and to `scrunch' crusts with grave abstraction), and, as to its bein' true, all I can say is I had it from his own lips. Master Will has no objection to my knowing what he tells...