Page 533 - sons-and-lovers

Dawes knew from his tone that he had been speaking to
Clara. He stepped forward.
‘Yer little devil!’ he said. ‘I’ll visitor you, inside of two
minutes! Think I’m goin’ to have YOU whipperty-snappin’
round?’
The other clerks in the warehouse looked up. Paul’s of-
fice-boy appeared, holding some white article.
‘Fanny says you could have had it last night if you’d let
her know,’ he said.
‘All right,’ answered Paul, looking at the stocking. ‘Get
it off.’ Dawes stood frustrated, helpless with rage. Morel
turned round.
‘Excuse me a minute,’ he said to Dawes, and he would
have run downstairs.
‘By God, I’ll stop your gallop!’ shouted the smith, seizing
him by the arm. He turned quickly.
‘Hey! Hey!’ cried the office-boy, alarmed.
Thomas Jordan started out of his little glass office, and
came running down the room.
‘What’s a-matter, what’s a-matter?’ he said, in his old
man’s sharp voice.
‘I’m just goin’ ter settle this little —-, that’s all,’ said
Dawes desperately.
‘What do you mean?’ snapped Thomas Jordan.
‘What I say,’ said Dawes, but he hung fire.
Morel was leaning against the counter, ashamed, half-
grinning.
‘What’s it all about?’ snapped Thomas Jordan.
‘Couldn’t say,’ said Paul, shaking his head and shrugging

Sons and Lovers