“You’re glad of it?
“That’s like your sneering; I know what you mean. Of course; I never can think of making myself comfortable, but you wound my feelings. If you cared for your own bed like any other man, you’d not have stayed out till this hour. Don’t say that I drove you out of the house as soon as we came in it. I only just spoke about the dirt and the dust, - but the fact is, you’d be happy in a pig-sty! I thought I could have trusted that Mrs. Closepeg with untold gold; and did you only see the hearthrug? When we left home there was a tiger in it: I should like to know who could make out the tiger, now? Oh, it’s very well for you to swear at the tiger, but swearing won’t revive the rug again. Else you might swear.
“You could go out and make yourself comfortable at your club. You little know how many windows are broken. How many do you think? No: I sha’n’t tell you to-morrow - you shall know now. I’m sure! Talking about getting health at Margate; all my health went away directly I went into the kitchen. There’s dear mother’s china bowl cracked in two places. I could have sat down and cried when I saw it: a bowl I can recollect when I was a child. Eh?
“I should have locked it up, then?
“Yes: that’s your feeling for anything of mine. I only wish it had been your punch-bowl; but, thank goodness! I think that’s chipped.
“Well, you haven’t answered about the windows - you can’t guess how many?
“You don’t care?
“Well, if nobody caught cold but you, it would be little matter. Six windows clean out, and three cracked!
“You can’t help it?
“I should like to know where the money’s to come from to mend ’em! They sha’n’t be mended, that’s all. Then you’ll see how respectable the house will look. But I know very well what you think. Yes; you’re glad of it. You think that this will keep me at home - but I’ll never stir out again. Then you can go to the sea-side by yourself; then, perhaps, you can be happy with Miss Prettyman? - Now, Caudle, if you knock the pillow with your fist in that way, I’ll get up. It’s very odd that I can’t mention that person’s name but you begin to fight the bolster, and do I don’t know what. There must be something in it, or you wouldn’t kick about so. A guilty conscience needs no - but you know what I mean.