d an attempt to find
excuses for her husband.

"He didn't ought to treat me as he does," she said.

All three now stood round the bed, over which the baby presided with
solemn gaze.

Thyme said: "I wouldn't care what he did, Mrs. Hughs; I wouldn't stay
another day if I were you. It's your duty as a woman."

To hear her duty as a woman Mrs. Hughs turned; slow vindictiveness
gathered on her thin face.

"Yes, miss?" she said. "I don't know what to do.

"Take the children and go. What's the good of waiting? We'll give you
money if you haven't got enough."

But Mrs. Hughs did not answer.

"Well?" said Martin, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

Thyme burst out again: "Just go, the very minute your little boy comes
back from school. Hughs 'll never find you. It 'll serve him right. No
woman ought to put up with what you have; it's simply weakness, Mrs.
Hughs."

As though that word had forced its way into her very heart and set the
blood free suddenly, Mrs. Hughs' face turned the colour of tomatoes. She
poured forth words:

"And leave him to that young girl--and leave him to his wickedness!
After I've been his wife eight years and borne him five! after I've done
what I have for him! I never want no better husband than what he used
to be, till she came with her pale face and her prinky manners,
and--and her mouth that you can tell she's bad by. Let her keep to her
profession--sitting naked's what she's fit for--coming here to decent
folk---" And holding out her wrists to Thyme, who had shrunk back, she
cried: "He's never struck me before. I got these all because of her new
clothes!"

Hearing his mother speak with such strange passion, the baby howled.
Mrs. Hughs stopped, and took him up. Pressing him close to her thin
bosom, she looked above his little dingy head at the two young people.

"I got my wrists like this last night, wrestling with him. He swore he'd
go and leave me, but I held him, I did. And don't you ever think that
I'll let him go to that young girl--not if he kills me first!"

With those words the passion in her face died down. She was again a
meek, mute woman.

During this outbreak, Thyme, shrinking, stood by the doorway with
lowered eyes. She now looked up at Martin, clearly asking him to
come away. The latter had kept his gaze fixed on Mrs. Hughs, smoking
silently. He took his pipe out of his mouth, and pointed with it at the
baby.

"This gentleman," he said, "can't stand too much of that."