"O Dick!"
"Come," he said, persuasively, "the money."
"You may beat me black and blue," she replied "but you'll get no money out of me to-night."
"Won't I!" exclaimed the tipsy humourist, as he flourished his strap, and brought it down again. "Take that, and that, and that!"
His wife took that, and that, and that, meekly, so far as her outward manner denoted. She was really not hurt much, for his blows were light; but the tears gathered in her eyes, as she asked:
"Do you know why, if you killed me I would not give you the money?"
"Because you're an obstinate woman," he replied, with hand upraised.
"Because I want it for medicine, for Sally."
At this point the door of the room opened, and two persons appeared--a man, certainly wide awake and a very little girl, certainly almost fast asleep, holding on to the skirts of his coat. No sooner did the man pause on the right side of the door, than the child converted "almost" into "quite." With a bit of his coat tightly clasped in her little hand, she closed her eyes and went to sleep, using his leg as a resting place for her head. The one candle which lighted the room showed dimly the form of the man but the child, being exceedingly small, was hidden from the Chesters in the shadows which lay upon the floor.
The intruder, at a glance, recognised the position of affairs.