But I snatched up a candle and brought it to him. He took it and held the flame to Hattersley's hands till, roaring like a wild beast, the latter unclasped them and let him go. He vanished, I suppose to his own apartment, for nothing more was seen of him till the morning. Swearing and cursing like a maniac, Hattersley threw himself on to the ottoman beside the window. The door being now free, Milicent attempted to make her escape from the scene of her husband's disgrace; but he called her back, and insisted upon her coming to him.
`What do you want Ralph?' murmured she, reluctantly approaching him.
`I want to know what's the matter with you,' said he, pulling her on to his knee like a child. `What are you crying for Milicent?--Tell me!'
`I'm not crying.'
`You are,' persisted he, rudely pulling her hands from her face.
`How dare you tell such a lie?'
`I'm not crying now,' pleaded she.
`But you have been--and just this minute too; and I will know what for. Come now, you shall tell me!'
`Do let me alone Ralph! remember we are not at home.'
`No matter: you shall answer my question!' exclaimed her tormentor; and he attempted to extort the confession by shaking her and remorselessly crushing her slight arms in the gripe of his powerful fingers.
`Don't let him treat your sister in that way,' said I to Mr. Hargrave.
`Come now, Hattersley, I can't allow that,' said that gentleman, stepping up to the ill-assorted couple. `You let my sister alone, if you please.' And he made an effort to unclasp the ruffian's fingers from her arm, but was suddenly driven backward and nearly laid upon the floor by a violent blow in the chest accompanied with the admonition, `Take that for your insolence!--and learn not to interfere between me and mine again.'
`If you were not beastly drunk, I'd have satisfaction for that!' gasped Hargrave, white and breathless as much from passion as from the immediate effects of the blow.
`Go to the devil!' responded his brother-in-law. `Now Milicent, tell me what you were crying for.'
`I'll tell you some other time,' murmured she, `when we are alone.'
`Tell me now!' said he with another shake and a squeeze that made her draw in her breath and bite her lip to suppress a cry of pain.
`I'll tell you, Mr. Hattersley,' said I. `She was crying from pure shame and humiliation for you; because she could not bear to see you conduct yourself so disgracefully.'
`Confound you, Madam!' muttered he, with a stare of stupid amazement at my `impudence.' `It was not that--was it Milicent?'
She was silent.
`Come, speak up child!'
`I can't tell now,' sobbed she.
`But you can say "yes" or "no" as well as "I can't tell--come!'
`Yes,' she whispered, hanging her head and blushing at the awful acknowledgement.
`Curse you for an impertinent huzzy then!' cried he, throwing her from him with such violence that she fell on her side; but she was up again before either I or her brother could come to her assistance, and made the best of her way out of the room and, I suppose, up stairs, without loss of time.
The next object of assault was Arthur, who sat opposite, and had no doubt richly enjoyed the whole scene.