'I do! And you may go upstairs and tell him so.'
'All right; I will.'
Jane ran upstairs and knocked at the door of the parlour. A gruff
voice bade her enter, but the room was nearly in darkness.
'Will you have a light, Mr. Byass?'
'No--thank you.'
'Mr. Byass, Mrs. Byass says I'm to say she hates you.'
'All right. Tell her I've known it a long time. She needn't trouble
about me; I'm going out to enjoy myself.'
Jane ran back to the kitchen.
'Mr. Byass says he's known it a long time,' she reported, with much
gravity. 'And he's going out to enjoy himself.'
Bessie remained mute.
'What message shall I take back, Mrs. Byass?'
'Tell him if he dares to leave the house, I'll go to mother's the
first thing to-morrow, and let them know how he's treating me.'
'Tell her,' was Mr. Byass's reply, 'that I don't see what it matters
to her whether I'm at home or away. And tell her she's a cruel wife
to me.'
Something like the sound of a snivel came out of the darkness as he
concluded. Jane, in reporting his speech, added that she thought he
was shedding tears. Thereupon Bessie gave a sob, quite in earnest.
'So am I,' she said chokingly.
Pages:
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278