"I'll teach you what the law is!" he broke in; "you'll raise
money to bury her like a born lady, when she's died in my debt,
will you? And you think I'll let my rights be trampled upon like
that, do you? See if I do! I'll give you till to-night to think
about it. If I don't have the three weeks she owes before
to-morrow, dead or alive, she shall go to the workhouse!"
This time I managed to push by him, and get to my own room, and
lock the door in his face. As soon as I was alone I fell into a
breathless, suffocating fit of crying that seemed to be shaking
me to pieces. But there was no good and no help in tears; I did
my best to calm myself after a little while, and tried to think
who I should run to for help and protection.
The doctor was the first friend I thought of; but I knew he was
always out seeing his patients of an afternoon. The beadle was
the next person who came into my head. He had the look of being a
very dignified, unapproachable kind of man when he came about the
inquest; but he talked to me a little then, and said I was a good
girl, and seemed, I really thought, to pity me. So to him I
determined to apply in my great danger and distress.
Most fortunately, I found him at home. When I told him of the
landlord's infamous threats, and of the misery I was suffering in
consequence of them, he rose up with a stamp of his foot, and
sent for his gold-laced cocked hat that he wears on Sundays, and
his long cane with the ivory top to it.
Pages:
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564