your
desire. So he did what he wanted, regardless of anybody. He was a sort
of brutal Overman; one could not help admiring the kind of barbaric
splendour there was about him. And his poor wife idolised him and would
stand everything from him.

"Now he is here with another girl. Talk about a change! He has turned
from a lion to a mouse. She is a little bit of a thing, only nineteen,
rather silly and not very attractive. She is pretty in an outward way,
but her features are unlit by any glimmer of feeling or thought, or even
good nature--a slothful, empty sort of prettiness. She makes him walk a
chalk-line, and it is contemptible and ridiculous and pitiful to see
that big man cringe before this poor, pretty, empty little thing. Once
in a while he tears himself away, and a glimmer of his old self returns;
for an hour or two he plays his old role again, but if she finds out
about it, it is very unpleasant for him. It is strange how weak women
can subdue at times these big, husky creatures. But the more they
succeed, the more dissatisfied they grow, until at last they feel
contempt for the man they have subdued. The girl in this case feels that
way about this big, powerful man. If he would assert himself, she would
love him, as she did when she saw how he bullied his wife and all
others. But at bottom we women are pleased, for it is a triumph for our
sex, though we feel a little jealous because not one of us could have
been the lion-tamer, instead of this weak little creature. Terry is wild
about it, and tries to lead the enslaved Hercules into evil ways and
keep him out at night, but all these things have lost their charm for
the big man, who now would rather stay at home with the little girl.
She, however, finds things very tedious, particularly in the day time,
when her big man is at the factory, for she has nothing to do. So she
passes her time at Esther's house.

"I would go crazy were I in Esther's place. Poor Esther, she doesn't
know what to do, either, for she cannot be always ill. She takes
pleasure in being an invalid, but she can't use this plea for sympathy
all the time, people get tired of it. But Esther is fortunate in having
somebody to whom she can tell all her aches and pains and their history.
She has found a unique occupation, in scrubbing. She starts Monday
mornings and finishes Saturday afternoons, and then on Monday starts
again. I was with her a week, and that's the way she spent the days.
Perhaps sh