"Look out, Lucian, befo' he chop open yo' head."
"Oh mi Gahd!"
"H'm! Yo' beast! Yo' whelp! Leave my uman alone."
A figure, washed in blood, fell backwards through the half-door on to the refuse-littered pavement.
All night Sarah sat up, imploring the Lord to have mercy upon them, and beseeching Bright to mend his reckless ways. His head bandaged up, he lay on the bed, a ghastly figure, the pain crushing the fire out of his eyes.
"Yo' ort to tek dis as a warnin'," she said, "an' steady yo'self." And he only moaned in pain.
All night Gerald was restless, bruised by his mother's sorrow, and unable to rid himself of the hideous nightmares surrounding it.
In the morning the lodgers grew restive.