Abner stood in the doorway. His face was solemn and heavily lined. The sight of Malpas did not seem to disturb him.
‘Hallo, George,’ he said, in a thick voice. ‘How goes it?’
‘Don’t you talk to me!’ said George, threateningly. ‘You wait till I’ve told you what I think of you, you damned swine!’
Abner flushed.
‘Steady, George! Go steady! We’ve got to talk this over. You sit down.’
‘There’s a sight too much talk about the both of you,’ George snarled. ‘When you’ve broke up a man’s home behind his back and then tell him to take a seat in it. I’m going to give you your lesson before you get kicked out!’
He made a threatening movement toward Abner, who watched him closely. Spider came dancing into the room. She leapt up at Abner with little yelps of joy at his return, licking his hand. At this sight the anger that smouldered in George’s brain leapt into flame.
‘Not only the wife and the kids,’ he cried. ‘You’ve got round the lot of them, even the bleeding dog!’
He snatched up the poker and hit out at Spider. Abner took the blow on his thigh.
‘Here, drop that!’ he cried.