He stopped, for his half-sister was speaking to their niece and he caught a word or two—unbelievable, horrifying words which caused his pæan of triumphant rejoicing to break off in the middle of the first strophe.
“I should say not!” declared Reliance. “Well, I should say not! Humph! the idea! I could have slapped his face for him for darin’ to think such a thing, let alone sayin’ it out loud—to me. When I get so worn out and good for nothin’ that I can’t earn my own livin’ I’ll find the cheapest way to die and do it, and I’ll take care to have enough put by to pay for my buryin’. I won’t go up to his palace and live on the leavin’s from his table. I’m no Lazarus. Saucy patronizin’ thing! The idea!”
Esther might have spoken, but Mr. Clark cut in ahead of her.
“What!” he shouted, in a frenzy. “What’s that you’re tellin’ her, Reliance Clark? Do you mean to say you ain’t goin’ to take up with a chance like that? My gosh, woman, you’re crazy!”
She whirled on him. “You keep still!” she commanded. “This isn’t any of your business at all. Don’t you say another word.”
“But it is my business. Why ain’t it my business? Didn’t he ask me same as he did the rest of you? Didn’t—”
She did not let him finish. “No, he did not,” she declared, with fierce contempt. “He said he supposed he would have to take the tail with the hide, that’s what he said, and if you like bein’ called a tail, I don’t.”
“Aw, come now, Reliance! He never meant—he asked me—”
“He didn’t ask you; he took you same as he might take a—the scales on a codfish, because he knew he couldn’t catch the critter without ’em. It is Esther he’s after and he was shrewd enough to think that maybe she might not go unless I did. Yes, and that I couldn’t leave a helpless thing like you to float around creation with nobody to steer you. Oh, don’t make me any madder than I am, Mil Clark!”
“Aw, Reliance, have some sense! Why—”