Mr. Manley did not greet William Roper. He stood on the hearth-rug and glowered at him with heavy truculence. William Roper shuffled his feet and fumbled with his cap.
Then Mr. Manley said: "Her ladyship has been informed that you have been spreading scandalous reports in the village, and she has instructed me to discharge you at once." He walked across to the table, took the sheet of notepaper on which he had written the amount due to William Roper, dipped a pen in the ink, and added: "Here are your wages up to date, and a week's wages in lieu of notice. Sign this receipt."
He dipped a pen in the ink and held it out to William Roper with very much the air of Lady Macbeth presenting her husband with the dagger.
William Roper was stupefied. Mr. Manley, truculent and dramatic, cowed him.
"I never done nothing, sir," he said feebly.
"Sign—at once!" said Mr. Manley, gazing at him with the glare of the basilisk.
"I ain't agoing to sign. I ain't done nothing to be discharged. I ain't said nothing but what I seed with my own eyes," William Roper protested.
"Sign!" said Mr. Manley, tapping the receipt like an official in a spy play. "Sign!"
He was too much for William Roper. The conflict, such as it was, of wills ceased abruptly. William Roper signed.
Mr. Manley pushed the money towards him as towards a loathed pariah. William Roper counted it, and put it in his pocket. He walked towards the door with an air of stupefied dejection.