People are always telling me I do . Would you rather I did n't talk ? If you say so I 'll stop . I can STOP when I make up my mind to it , although it 's difficult . '' Matthew , much to his own surprise , was enjoying himself . Like most quiet folks he liked talkative people when they were willing to do the talking themselves and did not expect him to keep up his end of it . But he had never expected to enjoy the society of a little girl . Women were bad enough in all conscience , but little girls were worse . He detested the way they had of sidling past him timidly , with sidewise glances , as if they expected him to gobble them up at a mouthful if they ventured to say a word . That was the Avonlea type of well-bred little girl . But this freckled witch was very different , and although he found it rather difficult for his slower intelligence to keep up with her brisk mental processes he thought that he `` kind of liked her chatter . '' So he said as shyly as usual : `` Oh , you can talk as much as you like . I do n't mind . '' `` Oh , I 'm so glad . I know you and I are going to get along together fine . It 's such a relief to talk when one wants to and not be told that children should be seen and not heard . I 've had that said to me a million times if I have once . And people laugh at me because I use big words . But if you have big ideas you have to use big words to express them , have n't you ? '' `` Well now , that seems reasonable , '' said Matthew .
`` Mrs. Spencer said that my tongue must be hung XXXXX the middle .
Like although as at because if in of so to