"Let me go!" whispered Ethel, struggling to release herself.
"Ye're not goin' out o' this house to-night if I have to wake
everyone in it."
"Wake them!" cried Ethel. "Wake them. They couldn't stop me. Nothing
can stop me now. I'm sick of this living on CHARITY; sick of meeting
YOU day by day, an implied insult in your every look and word, as
much as to say: 'I'M giving you your daily bread; I'M keeping the
roof over you!' I'm sick of it. And I end it to-night. Let me go or
I'll--I'll--" and she tried in vain to release herself from Peg's
grip.
Peg held her resolutely:
"What d'ye mane by INSULT? An' yer DAILY BREAD? An' kapin' the roof
over ye? What are ye ravin' about at all?"
"I'm at the end--to-night. I'm going!" and she struggled with Peg up
to the windows. But Peg did not loose her hold. It was firmer than
before.
"You're not goin' away with him, I tell ye. Ye're NOT. What d'ye
suppose ye'd be goin' to? I'll tell ye. A wakin' an' sleepin' HELL--
that's what it would be."
"I'm going," said the distracted girl.
"Ye'd take him from his wife an' her baby?"
"He hates THEM! and I hate THIS! I tell you I'm going--"
"So ye'd break yer mother's heart an' his wife's just to satisfy yer
own selfish pleasure? Well I'm glad _I_ sinned to-night in doin'
what I wanted to do since it's given me the chance to save YOU from
doin' the most shameful thing a woman ever did!"
"Will you--" and Ethel again struggled to get free.
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