tter have 'igh words first, I s'pose?"

"You pitch into me with your tongue," said Mr. Grummit, amiably.

Mrs. Grummit, first listening to make sure that the constable and his
wife were in the bedroom the other side of the flimsy wall, complied, and
in a voice that rose gradually to a piercing falsetto told Mr. Grummit
things that had been rankling in her mind for some months. She raked up
misdemeanours that he had long since forgotten, and, not content with
that, had a fling at the entire Grummit family, beginning with her
mother-in-law and ending with Mr. Grummit's youngest sister. The hand
that held the copper-stick itched.

"Any more to say?" demanded Mr. Grummit advancing upon her.

Mrs. Grummit emitted a genuine shriek, and Mr. Grummit, suddenly
remembering himself, stopped short and attacked the bed with
extraordinary fury. The room resounded with the blows, and the efforts
of Mrs. Grummit were a revelation even to her husband.

[Illustration: "Mr. Grummit, suddenly remembering himself, stopped short
and attacked the bed with extraordinary fury."]

"I can hear 'im moving," whispered Mr. Grummit, pausing to take breath.

"Mur--der!" wailed his wife. "Help! Help!"

Mr. Grummit, changing the stick into his left hand, renewed the attack;
Mrs. Grummit, whose voice was becoming exhausted, sought a temporary
relief in moans.

"Is--he----deaf?" panted the wife-beater, "or wot?"

He knocked over a chair, and Mrs. Grummit contrived another frenzied
scream. A loud knocking sounded on the wall.

"Hel--lp!" moaned Mrs. Grummit.

"Halloa, there!" came the voice of the constable. "Why don't you keep
that baby quiet? We can't get a wink of sleep."

Mr. Grummit dropped the stick on the bed and turned a dazed face to his
wife.

"He--he's afraid--to come in," he gasped. "Keep it up, old gal."

He took up the stick again and Mrs. Grummit did her best, but the heart
had gone out of the thing, and he was about to give up the task as
hopeless when the door below was heard to open with a bang.

"Here he is," cried the jubilant Grummit. "Now!"

His wife responded, and at the same moment the bedroom door was flung
open, and her brother, who had been hastily fetched by the neighbours on
the other side, burst into the room and with one hearty blow sent Mr.
Grummit sprawling.

"Hit my sister, will you?" he roared, as the astounded Mr. Grummit rose.
"Take that!"

Mr. Grummit took it, and several other favours,