. Ethel and Brevald blamed him for
taking it, since Pedersen, the half-caste, offered him more. But he
resented bitterly the thought of being under the orders of a half-caste.
When Ethel nagged him he burst out furiously:

"I'll see myself dead before I work for a nigger."

"You may have to," she said.

And in six months he found himself forced to this final humiliation. The
passion for liquor had been gaining on him, he was often heavy with
drink, and he did his work badly. Miller warned him once or twice and
Lawson was not the man to accept remonstrance easily. One day in the
midst of an altercation he put on his hat and walked out. But by now his
reputation was well known and he could find no one to engage him. For a
while he idled, and then he had an attack of _delirium tremens_. When he
recovered, shameful and weak, he could no longer resist the constant
pressure and he went to Pedersen and asked him for a job. Pedersen was
glad to have a white man in his store and Lawson's skill at figures made
him useful.

From that time his degeneration was rapid. The white people gave him the
cold shoulder. They were only prevented from cutting him completely by
disdainful pity and by a certain dread of his angry violence when he was
drunk. He became extremely susceptible and was always on the lookout for
affront.

He lived entirely among the natives and half-castes, but he had no
longer the prestige of the white man. They felt his loathing for them
and they resented his attitude of superiority. He was one of themselves
now and they did not see why he should put on airs. Brevald, who had
been ingratiating and obsequious, now treated him with contempt. Ethel
had made a bad bargain. There were disgraceful scenes and once or twice
the two men came to blows. When there was a quarrel Ethel took the part
of her family. They found he was better drunk than sober, for when he
was drunk he would lie on the bed or on the floor, sleeping heavily.

Then he became aware that something was being hidden from him.

When he got back to the bungalow for the wretched, half native supper
which was his evening meal, often Ethel was not in. If he asked where
she was Brevald told him she had gone to spend the evening with one or
other of her friends. Once he followed her to the house Brevald had
mentioned and found she was not there. On her return he asked her where
she had been and she told him her father had made a mistake; she had
been to s