The Major’s face was purple with anger, but he did not speak, only raised his quivering stick, and pointed down toward the pathway, while Dinah clung to his arm.
Jessop shrugged his shoulders, uttered a contemptuous laugh, and calmly took out his case, selected and lit a cigar, closed the case with a snap, pocketed it, and walked by them smoking, insultingly contriving to send a puff of tobacco into the Major’s face as he passed.
The next minute he was on the shelf path with his face convulsed with fury; and he walked on backward toward the mine, biting off pieces of the cigar, and spitting them out savagely.
“That’s it, is it?” he snarled. “Well, we can soon tame all that. He won’t come back here, and all that is vapour. Pretty indignation; but a woman is weak. She knows I want her, and she’ll dream about it, and grow softer till the siege comes to an end. For it shall come to an end, and in my way, my lady. I never fairly attacked a girl yet without winning; and my pretty, sweet darling shall go on her knees to me yet, and what do you mean by that?”
“I want to talk to you, guv’nor,” said Sturgess, who had suddenly clapped him roughly on the shoulder.
“What is it, then? And, confound you, don’t you forget your place, sir.”
“No fear. I’ve done your dirty work, and helped you to get your position here.”
“And your own,” cried Jessop, with a sneer.
“Oh yes, that’s all right; but I’m not going to have you ride roughshod over me in every way.”
“What do you mean, sir?”