Sentence:  He nodded. "Mum's the word, Mrs. Bunting! It'll all be in the last editions of the evening newspapers&mdash;it can't be kep' out. There'd be too much of a row if twas!" &para; "Are you going off to that public-house now?" she asked. &para; "I've got a awk'ard job&mdash;to try and <WSD>worm</WSD> something out of the barmaid." 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To drag out of, to get information that someone is reluctant or unwilling to give (through artful or devious means or by pleading or asking repeatedly).