“And you are a liar,” George stormed, “when you say—”
“Silence!” commanded Mr. Marrapit. “Do not anger heaven yet further. Can you still deny—?”
“No!” George said very loudly. “No! No! I deny nothing. But that woman's a liar when she says Miss Humfray discussed the business with me, or that it was Miss Humfray's turn to take the damned cat. Miss Humfray knew nothing about it till I told her. When she heard she said it was wrong and tried to make me take the cat back to you.”
In his wrath George had advanced close to Mrs. Major. He stretched a violent finger to an inch from her nose. “That's true, isn't it? Have the grace to admit that.”
Indomitable of purpose, the masterly woman pressed back her head as far as the chair would allow, tightened her lips.
The violent finger followed. “Say it's true!” George boiled.
His Mary implored: “Oh, George, don't, don't!”
The furious young man flamed on to her. “Be quiet!”
Mr. Marrapit began a sound. The furious young man flamed to him: “You be quiet, too!” He thrust the dreadful finger at Mrs. Major. “Now speak the truth. Had Miss Humfray anything to do with it?”
This tremendous George had temporary command of the room. The masterly woman for once quailed. “I didn't hear that part,” she said.