The ladies of his household approached him with most profound obeisances and with loud and deep-drawn sighs at every step. But Slim Lim repulsed them in the rudest manner. He would have none of their sympathy, none of their pity or tender offices.
They redoubled their efforts; their sighs became more tender and louder.
It was all in vain.
Slim Lim was determined not to be propitiated.
Turning to me, he cried out:
“Let the barbarian, the son of a barbarian, the grandson of a barbarian, the great-grandson of a barbarian, the great-great-grandson of a barbarian, the great-great-great-grandson of a barbarian, the great-great-great-great-grandson of a barbarian inscribe his wretched, worthless, mean, common, ordinary, insignificant and despicable name upon a sheet of paper ere he goes forth, so that I and my children, and my children’s children, and my children’s children’s children, and my children’s children’s children’s children may speak it with contempt!”
And then, in order to prove to me that he considered himself disgraced to sit in my presence, he threw himself full length upon the floor.
Bulger got it into his head that this strange proceeding was in some way a menace to me, for he walked cautiously around Slim Lim, sniffing at him and growling in a threatening way, as if to say: “Don’t play any tricks on my little master, or it will go hard with you!”
The ladies of Slim Lim’s household were nearly crazed with grief and anxiety.
I assured them of my protection, but this only seemed to increase their solicitation.