Page 511 - sons-and-lovers

The mother had them in her power. All the time his
heart was beating hard, and he was tight with anxiety. But
he would fight her.
‘Me like to see it!’ exclaimed the old woman. ‘What
should I like to see her make a fool of herself for?’
‘I’ve seen people look bigger fools,’ he said. Clara was un-
der his protection now.
‘Oh, ay! and when was that?’ came the sarcastic rejoin-
der.
‘When they made frights of themselves,’ he answered.
Mrs. Radford, large and threatening, stood suspended
on the hearthrug, holding her fork.
‘They’re fools either road,’ she answered at length, turn-
ing to the Dutch oven.
‘No,’ he said, fighting stoutly. ‘Folk ought to look as well
as they can.’
‘And do you call THAT looking nice!’ cried the mother,
pointing a scornful fork at Clara. ‘That—that looks as if it
wasn’t properly dressed!’
‘I believe you’re jealous that you can’t swank as well,’ he
said laughing.
‘Me! I could have worn evening dress with anybody, if
I’d wanted to!’ came the scornful answer.
‘And why didn’t you want to?’ he asked pertinently. ‘Or
DID you wear it?’
There was a long pause. Mrs. Radford readjusted the ba-
con in the Dutch oven. His heart beat fast, for fear he had
offended her.
‘Me!’ she exclaimed at last. ‘No, I didn’t! And when I was

10 Sons and Lovers