"Listen, you miserable hound," he whispered. "Take me to him this
moment, or I'll shake the life out of you. Did you ever know me
go back from my word?"
Da Souza took up his hat with an ugly oath and yielded. The two
men left the office together.
* * * * *
"Listen!"
The two women sat in silence, waiting for some repetition of the
sound. This time there was certainly no possibility of any mistake.
>From the room above their heads came the feeble, quavering sobbing
of an old man. Julie threw down her book and sprang up.
"Mother, I cannot bear it any longer," she cried. "I know where
the key is, and I am going into that room"
Mrs. Da Souza's portly frame quivered with excitement.
"My child," she pleaded, "don't Julie, do remember! Your father
will know, and then - oh, I shall be frightened to death!"
"It is nothing to do with you, mother," the girl said, "I am going."
Mrs. Da Souza produced a capacious pocket-handkerchief, reeking with
scent, and dabbed her eyes with it. From the days when she too had
been like Julie, slim and pretty, she had been every hour in dread
of her husband. Long ago her spirit had been broken and her
independence subdued. To her friend and confidants no word save of
pride and love for her husband had ever passed her lips, yet now as
she watched her daughter she was conscious of a wild, passionate
wish that her fate at least might be a different one.
Pages:
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283