id, 'or I'll give you somethin' too.'

She caught hold of his arm, but Jim, still kneeling on his wife, gave
Polly a backhanded blow which sent her staggering back.

'Tike that!'

Polly ran out of the room, downstairs to the first-floor front, where
two men and two women were sitting at tea.

'Oh, come an' stop father!' she cried. ''E's killin' mother!'

'Why, wot's 'e doin'?'

'Oh, 'e's got 'er on the floor, an' 'e's bangin' 'er 'ead. 'E's payin'
'er aht for givin' Liza Kemp a 'idin'.'

One of the women started up and said to her husband:

'Come on, John, you go an' stop it.'

'Don't you, John,' said the other man. 'When a man's givin' 'is wife
socks it's best not ter interfere.'

'But 'e's killin' 'er,' repeated Polly, trembling with fright.

'Garn!' rejoined the man, 'she'll git over it; an' p'raps she deserves
it, for all you know.'

John sat undecided, looking now at Polly, now at his wife, and now at
the other man.

'Oh, do be quick--for God's sike!' said Polly.

At that moment a sound as of something smashing was heard upstairs,
and a woman's shriek. Mrs. Blakeston, in an effort to tear herself away
from her husband, had knocked up against the wash-hand stand, and the
whole thing had crashed down.

'Go on, John,' said the wife.

'No, I ain't goin'; I shan't do no good, an' 'e'll only round on me.'

'Well, you are a bloomin' lot of cowards, thet's all I can say,'
indignantly answered the wife. 'But I ain't goin' ter see a woman
murdered; I'll go an' stop 'im.'

With that she ran upstairs and threw open the door. Jim was still
kneeling on his wife, hitting her furiously, while she was trying to
protect her head and face with her hands.

'Leave off!' shouted the woman.

Jim looked up. ''Oo the devil are you?' he said.

'Leave off, I tell yer. Aren't yer ashimed of yerself, knockin' a
woman abaht like that?' And she sprang at him, seizing his fist.

'Let go,' he said, 'or I'll give you a bit.'

'Yer'd better not touch me,' she said. 'Yer dirty coward! Why, look at
'er, she's almost senseless.'

Jim stopped and gazed at his wife. He got up and gave her a kick.

'Git up!' he said; but she remained huddled up on the floor, moaning
feebly. The woman from downstairs went on her knees and took her head
in her arms.

'Never mind, Mrs. Blakeston. 'E's not goin' ter touch yer. 'Ere, drink
this little drop of water.' Then turning to Jim, with infinite
disdain: 'Yer dirty blackguard, you! If I