"
At this the old man straightened his back, took a straw from between his
teeth, spat and said: "Well, if you must know, Mrs. Mahony, the doctor's
not the boss it pleases me to be h'under any more--and that's the
trewth. I'm tired of it--dog-tired. You can slave yer 'ead off for 'im,
and 'e never notices a thing you do, h'or if 'e does, it's on'y to find
fault. It h'ain't 'uman, I say, and I'll be danged if I stand it h'any
longer."
But people who came to Mary with criticism of Richard got no mercy.
"You're far too touchy, Jim. YOU know, if any one does, how rushed and
busy the doctor is, and you ought to be the first to make allowance for
him--after all he's done for you. You wouldn't be here now, if it
hadn't been for him. And then to expect him to notice and praise you for
every little job you do!"
But Jim was stubborn. 'E didn't want to deny anything. But 'e'd rather
go. An' this day a week if it suited her.
" It's really dreadful how uppish the lower classes get as soon as they
have a little money in their pocket," she said to herself, as she walked
the shadeless, sandy road. But this thought was like a shadow cast by
her husband's mind on hers, and was ousted by the more indigenous: "But
after all who can blame him, poor old fellow, for wanting to take life
easy if he has the chance." She even added: "He might have gone off, as
most of them do, without a word."
Then her mind reverted to what he had said of Richard, and she pondered
the antagonism that had shown through his words.
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