'Now, look 'ere,' he said, 'I'm not goin' ter stand this much longer, so just you tike care.' 'I ain't frightened of yer. I know yer'd like ter kill me, but yer'll get strung up if you do.' 'Na, I won't kill yer, but if I 'ave any more of your sauce I'll do the next thing to it.' 'Touch me if yer dare,' she said, 'I'll 'ave the law on you. An' I shouldn't mind 'ow many month's 'ard you got.' 'Be quiet!' he said, and, closing his hand, gave her a heavy blow in the chest that made her stagger. 'Oh, you ----!' she screamed. She seized the poker, and in a fury of rage rushed at him. 'Would yer?' he said, catching hold of it and wrenching it from her grasp. He threw it to the end of the room and grappled with her. For a moment they swayed about from side to side, then with an effort he lifted her off her feet and threw her to the ground; but she caught hold of him and he came down on the top of her. She screamed as her head thumped down on the floor, and the children, who were standing huddled up in a corner, terrified, screamed too. Jim caught hold of his wife's head and began beating it against the floor. She cried out: 'You're killing me! Help! help!' Polly in terror ran up to her father and tried to pull him off. 'Father, don't 'it 'er! Anythin' but thet--for God's sike!' 'Leave me alone,' he said, 'or I'll give you somethin' too.' She caught hold of his arm, but Jim, still kneeling on his wife, gave Polly a backhanded blow which sent her staggering back. 'Tike that!' Polly ran out of the room, downstairs to the first-floor front, where two men and two women were sitting at tea. 'Oh, come an' stop father!' she cried. ''E's killin' mother!' 'Why, wot's 'e doin'?' 'Oh, 'e's got 'er on the floor, an' 'e's bangin' 'er 'ead. 'E's payin' 'er aht for givin' Liza Kemp a 'idin'.' One of the women started up and said to her husband: 'Come on, John, you go an' stop it.' 'Don't you, John,' said the other man. 'When a man's givin' 'is wife socks it's best not ter interfere.' 'But 'e's killin' 'er,' repeated Polly, trembling with fright. 'Garn!' rejoined the man, 'she'll git over it; an' p'raps she deserves it, for all you know.' John sat undecided, looking now at Polly, now at his wife, and now at the other man. 'Oh, do be quick--for God's sike!' said Polly. At that moment a sound as of something smashing was heard upstairs, and a woman's shriek. Mrs. Blakeston, in an effort to tear herself away from her husband, had knocked up against the wash-hand stand, and the whole thing had crashed down. 'Go on, John,' said the wife. 'No, I ain't goin'; I shan't do no good, an' 'e'll only round on me.' 'Well, you are a bloomin' lot of cowards, thet's all I can say,' indignantly answered the wife. 'But I ain't goin' ter see a woman murdered; I'll go an' stop 'im.' With that she ran upstairs and threw open the door. Jim was still kneeling on his wife, hitting her furiously, while she was trying to protect her head and face with her hands.