"You blarsted fool! what did you do that for?"
"Because I'm not going to have my few sticks taken for rent and be turned into the street with my girl. That's what I did it for; and if you won't work you'll starve, so don't you come to me for anything."
Again he drummed noisily on the table, and hummed or tried to hum a tune. Presently he spoke again:
"You know fast enough; tramping about the streets to sell a box of matches. A nice thing!"
"What did she get, I arsk you?" he repeated, getting up and putting his hand heavily on her shoulder.
"Enough for bread," she replied, shaking his hand off.
"How much?" But as she refused to answer, he turned to the girl and repeated in a threatening tone, "How much?"
She sat trembling, her eyes cast down, but silent.
"I'll learn you to answer when you're spoken to, you damn barstard!" he said, approaching her with raised hand.
"Don't you hit her, you brute!" exclaimed his wife, springing in sudden anger to her feet.
"Oh, father, don't hit me--oh, please don't--I'll tell--I'll tell! I got eighteenpence," cried the girl, shrinking back terrified.
He turned and went back to his seat, grinning at his success in getting at the truth. Presently he asked his wife if she had spent eighteenpence in bread.
"No, I didn't. I got a haddock for morning, and two ounces of tea, and a loaf, and a bundle of wood," she returned sullenly.
After an interval of a couple of minutes he got up, went to the cupboard, and opened it.
"There's the haddy right enough," he said. "No great things--cost you thrippence, I s'pose. Tea tuppence-ha'penny, and that's fivepence-ha'penny, and a ha'penny for wood, and tuppence-ha'penny for a loaf makes eightpence-ha'penny. There's more'n ninepence over, Margy, and all I want is a pint of beer and a screw. Threepence--come now."
"I've nothing to give you," she returned doggedly.
"Then what did you do with it? How much gin did you drink--eh?"
"As much as I could get," she answered defiantly.
He looked at her, whistled and drummed, then got up and went out.
"No such luck. He's only going to ask Mrs. Clark if I gave her the florin. He won't be long you'll see."
Very soon he did return and sat down again. "A pint and a screw, that's all I want," he said, as if speaking to himself, and there was no answer. Then he got up, put his hand on her shoulder, and almost shook her out of her chair. "Don't you hear?" he shouted.