No, no, that would be lying. But your daughter—your daughter says now that she hadn’t heard the ship was rotten. And on the second night of the storm, when she was alone with me at my sister Kneirtje’s, she did say that—that——
Clementine.
[Trembling.] Did I—say——
Cob.
Yes, that you did! That very evening. These are my own words to you: “Now you are fibbing, Miss; for if your father knew the Good Hope was rotten”——
Jo.
[Springing up wildly, speaking with piercing distinctness.] You, you lie! You began to cry. You were afraid ships would be lost. I was there, and Truus was there, and——Oh, you adders!
Bos.
[Banging his desk with his fist.] Adders? Adders? You scum! Who gives you your feed, year in, year out? Haven’t you decency enough to believe us instead of that drunken beggar who reels as he stands there?