“It’s true then that you want to get married, you baggage!”
“Pa!” cried Lily.
But he, with an “Ah!” of rage, sprang upon her, clutched her mass of hair, banged her head against the wall:
“On your knees! Say, ‘I—beg—your—par—don—’”
And, Bang! Bang! Bang! The phrase was punctuated with thumps.
“Oh, Clifton,” implored Ma, “stop! Not so hard!”
“Beg—par—don! Beg—par—don!” continued Pa, without relenting.
Lily was half-stunned, the world throbbed before her eyes, and, delirious with wrath, she hissed:
“Never!”
“But I say, I say you shall not marry him! I’ll kill you first!”