'' he says. ''Come, sit beside me. And if you will only promise not to fly at my eyes—
as you did, you know, on Wednesday—then I shall swear, on Johnny''s life! not to knock you down again.''
John scowls. ''Don''t you make so free with my life,'' he says; ''else, I might make free with yours—you hear me?''
Richard does not answer. He holds my gaze, and smiles. ''Come, let us be friends again, hmm?''
He puts his hand to me, and I dodge it, drawing my skirts away. The fastening of the doors, the closeness of the kitchen, has filled me with a kind of bleak bravado. ''I don''t care,'' I say, ''to be thought a friend of yours. I don''t care to be thought a friend to any of you. I come among you because I must; because Mrs Sucksby wills it, and I haven''t life left in me to thwart her. For the rest, remember this: I loathe you all.''
And I sit, not in the empty place beside him, but in the great rocking-chair, at the head of the table. I sit in it and it creaks. John and Dainty gaze quickly at Mrs Sucksby, who blinks at me, two or three times.
And why not?'' she says at last, forcing a laugh. ''You make y6ur-self comfy, my dear. I''ll take this hard old chair here, do me good.'' She sits and wipes her mouth. ''Mr Ibbs not about?''
''Gone off on a job,'' says John. ''Took Charley Wag.''
She nods. And all my infants sleeping?''
''Gentleman give ''em a dose, half an hour ago.''