‘“You go and get the brekfus ready, my gal, that’s what you’ve got to do.”
‘“I shan’t,” she sez. “Look here, father,”—Lor’, I can see her a-standing there now, poor dear, her eyes a-flashin’ and her bussim heavin’ with passion—“you shan’t lead this horrible life no longer,” she sez. “I’m sick on it. I’ll warn Ralph Egerton this very day. He don’t come here no more.”
‘“You’re a saucy jade,” I sez; “you go and mind your own business.”
‘’With that, being confused like, I picks up the cloth, and the next minute she had me by the arm a-grippin’ me till I hollared out.
‘“Father,” she sez, “what’s that? There’s blood upon the floor. Father, there’s murder been done here this night.”
‘With that she drops into a chair and begins to moan and rock herself to and fro, and presently she has what they calls a fit of the ‘sterics, for she begins to larf and cry and shout out. Then she rushes out of the room quite mad like, a-yellin’ “Murder.” Well, I got in a funk then, for I see as it would be all up if she didn’t hold her row, so I bolts after her and seizes her.
‘“Leave go!” she shrieks. “Murder! Help! Murder!”
‘“Quiet, you devil!” I shouted, gripping her by the throat, for I was half mad myself then. “Do you want to hang the lot of us?”’
‘She fought and bit and struggled, and, strong as I am, I had all my work to hold her. At last she broke loose, and made for the stairs, and then——’
The old dog-fancier drew out a big red handkerchief and mopped his brow, for the perspiration stood upon it in great beads.