Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. III, 1889.djvu/264

 girl, who was quiet, and had the look of an invalid. “It’s always you begins. Besides, you can’t have cheese; there’s only a little bit, and Sidney said he was going to make his dinner of it to-day.”

“Of course,—selfish beast!”

“Selfish! Now just listen to that. Amy! when he said it just that we mightn’t be afraid to finish the meat.”

Amy said nothing, but began to hack fragments off the bone.

“Put some aside for father first,” continued Annie, holding a plate.

“Father be blowed!” cried Tom. “You just give me that first cut. Give it here, Annie, or I’ll crack you on the head!”

As he struggled for the plate, Amy bent forward and hit his arm violently with the handle of the knife. This was the signal for a general scrimmage, in the midst of which Tom caught up a hearth-brush and flung it at Amy’s head. The missile went wide of its mark and shivered one of the window-panes.

“There now!” exclaimed Annie, who had begun to cry in consequence of a blow from Tom’s fist. “See what father says to that!”