mollify him, and he spoke to her with a harshness that was almost savage:
‘Why don’t you put somethin’ on your face?’
Katey did not know what to say, so remained silent.
‘Put somethin’ on it, I tell you. Am I to be always made wretched by you?’
Katey could only murmur:
‘Always, Jerry? Always?’ and began to cry.
‘Stop your cryin’, I tell you. Here - I’ll not stay here any longer. No wonder I have to keep away when I find nothin’ here but tears.’
‘Jerry, dear, I won’t cry,’ said Katey, in affright, lest he should go out. ‘I won’t cry, dear, and I’ll cover up my face - only don’t go out yet. Look, I am not cryin’ now. See, I’m laughin’.’
‘Stop your laughin’, I say. There isn’t much to laugh at here.’
This was too much for Katey, and again she broke down. Jerry got up to go out; she went to the door, and standing before it, said:
‘For God’s sake, Jerry, don’t go out yet.’
‘Let me go, I say. Will you dare to stop me.’
‘Oh, Jerry, for the sake of the children, don’t go out. For the sake of the love you used to have’ -
‘Out of the way, I say.’
‘Oh, Jerry.’
‘Let me go, I tell you. You won’t. Then take that,’ and again he struck her. She cowered away with a low wail. As he left the room, Jerry said, with an effort at self-justification:
‘I see the way to manage you, now. Take care that you don’t rouse the devil in me.’
Katey was sobbing still when Grinnell came to ask ‘how Jerry was this morning.’ She felt glad to see him on account of his refusing to give Jerry drink, and shook him warmly by the hand.
Grinnell looked at her without speaking, but manifestly taking notice of her bruised face; then he turned away and seemed as if drying an unostentatious tear. Katey felt drawn towards him by the manifestation of sympathy; and so it was with an open heart that she commenced to thank him for his promise to assist in reclaiming Jerry.
‘Don’t distress yourself,’ he said after some talk, ‘you see the influence I have over him, not only personally, but from my position, is ever great. He owes me money’ - Katey winced, he noticed it, and kept harping on that string — ‘he owes me, I may say, a good deal of money, not that I want him to pay me yet, or that I ever mean to press him for it, but owing me a good deal of money, you know, I can put the screw on him any time I like. For instance, if he did anything to offend me, or if anyone belonging to him got in my way, and I wished it, I could put my thumb on him and crush him like a fly.’
Katey laid her hand on his arm and asked him pleadingly -
‘Oh, don’t talk like that, it seems so dreadful to me that it frightens me.’
‘There, there, my dear,’ he answered, patting her shoulder, ‘don’t fret, I do not mean to crush him like a fly. I only mention it to show you what I could do if I had occasion to. You see when a man is down the hill the best thing for him is to have some determined friend who can crack the whip over his head.’
Katey began to get frightened, she did not know why. She was without knowing from what cause getting a repulsion and fear for the man before her. It might be, she thought, when she asked herself the question, from his hideous aspect, which was enough to alarm anyone. The thought of Jerry being in the power of anyone was a bitter one to her, but that of Jerry being in the power of this man was too dreadful to be realised.
Grinnell, who was watching her closely, saw that some idea of the kind was in her mind, and tried with all his might to banish it. He made kind promises, he offered to do generous acts, he spoke kindly and tenderly to Katey, using every means to rule her reason. But still that instinct which is above all reason spoke in her, and whispered her even not to trust to him. Grinnell saw that he was not making way in her good graces, and took his leave shortly, showing by his manner that he was hurt, though
‘Why don’t you put somethin’ on your face?’
Katey did not know what to say, so remained silent.
‘Put somethin’ on it, I tell you. Am I to be always made wretched by you?’
Katey could only murmur:
‘Always, Jerry? Always?’ and began to cry.
‘Stop your cryin’, I tell you. Here - I’ll not stay here any longer. No wonder I have to keep away when I find nothin’ here but tears.’
‘Jerry, dear, I won’t cry,’ said Katey, in affright, lest he should go out. ‘I won’t cry, dear, and I’ll cover up my face - only don’t go out yet. Look, I am not cryin’ now. See, I’m laughin’.’
‘Stop your laughin’, I say. There isn’t much to laugh at here.’
This was too much for Katey, and again she broke down. Jerry got up to go out; she went to the door, and standing before it, said:
‘For God’s sake, Jerry, don’t go out yet.’
‘Let me go, I say. Will you dare to stop me.’
‘Oh, Jerry, for the sake of the children, don’t go out. For the sake of the love you used to have’ -
‘Out of the way, I say.’
‘Oh, Jerry.’
‘Let me go, I tell you. You won’t. Then take that,’ and again he struck her. She cowered away with a low wail. As he left the room, Jerry said, with an effort at self-justification:
‘I see the way to manage you, now. Take care that you don’t rouse the devil in me.’
Katey was sobbing still when Grinnell came to ask ‘how Jerry was this morning.’ She felt glad to see him on account of his refusing to give Jerry drink, and shook him warmly by the hand.
Grinnell looked at her without speaking, but manifestly taking notice of her bruised face; then he turned away and seemed as if drying an unostentatious tear. Katey felt drawn towards him by the manifestation of sympathy; and so it was with an open heart that she commenced to thank him for his promise to assist in reclaiming Jerry.
‘Don’t distress yourself,’ he said after some talk, ‘you see the influence I have over him, not only personally, but from my position, is ever great. He owes me money’ - Katey winced, he noticed it, and kept harping on that string — ‘he owes me, I may say, a good deal of money, not that I want him to pay me yet, or that I ever mean to press him for it, but owing me a good deal of money, you know, I can put the screw on him any time I like. For instance, if he did anything to offend me, or if anyone belonging to him got in my way, and I wished it, I could put my thumb on him and crush him like a fly.’
Katey laid her hand on his arm and asked him pleadingly -
‘Oh, don’t talk like that, it seems so dreadful to me that it frightens me.’
‘There, there, my dear,’ he answered, patting her shoulder, ‘don’t fret, I do not mean to crush him like a fly. I only mention it to show you what I could do if I had occasion to. You see when a man is down the hill the best thing for him is to have some determined friend who can crack the whip over his head.’
Katey began to get frightened, she did not know why. She was without knowing from what cause getting a repulsion and fear for the man before her. It might be, she thought, when she asked herself the question, from his hideous aspect, which was enough to alarm anyone. The thought of Jerry being in the power of anyone was a bitter one to her, but that of Jerry being in the power of this man was too dreadful to be realised.
Grinnell, who was watching her closely, saw that some idea of the kind was in her mind, and tried with all his might to banish it. He made kind promises, he offered to do generous acts, he spoke kindly and tenderly to Katey, using every means to rule her reason. But still that instinct which is above all reason spoke in her, and whispered her even not to trust to him. Grinnell saw that he was not making way in her good graces, and took his leave shortly, showing by his manner that he was hurt, though
Similar Books
