Chapter 30

           ‘Hetoldmefurtherthathedidn’tknowwhatmadehimhangon—butofcoursewemayguess.Hesympathiseddeeplywiththedefencelessgirl,atthemercyofthat“mean,cowardlyscoundrel.”ItappearsCorneliusledheranawfullife,stoppingonlyshortofactualill-usage,forwhichhehadnotthepluck,Isuppose.Heinsisteduponhercallinghimfather—“andwithrespecttoo—withrespect,”hewouldscream,shakingalittleyellowfistinherface.“Iamarespectableman,andwhatareyou?Tellme—whatareyou?YouthinkIamgoingtobringupsomebodyelse’schildandnotbetreatedwithrespect?YououghttobegladIletyou.Come—sayYes,father....No?...Youwaitabit.”Thereuponhewouldbegintoabusethedeadwoman,tillthegirlwouldrunoffwithherhandstoherhead.Hepursuedher,dashinginandoutandroundthehouseandamongstthesheds,woulddriveherintosomecorner,whereshewouldfallonherkneesstoppingherears,andthenhewouldstandatadistanceanddeclaimfilthydenunciationsatherbackforhalfanhouratastretch.“Yourmotherwasadevil,adeceitfuldevil—andyoutooareadevil,”hewouldshriekinafinaloutburst,pickupabitofdryearthorahandfulofmud(therewasplentyofmudaroundthehouse),andflingitintoherhair.Sometimes,though,shewouldholdoutfullofscorn,confrontinghiminsilence,herfacesombreandcontracted,andonlynowandthenutteringawordortwothatwouldmaketheotherjumpandwrithewiththesting.Jimtoldmethesesceneswereterrible.

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