ault. Because he was more important than
anybody else, it seemed the most tremendous fault that anybody had ever
committed, and because he was her son it seemed quite unlike any other
fault and far more excusable. Her detached wisdom warned her that she
must check all such tendencies in him, since what would in other
children be judged a shortcoming natural to their age, would in him be
ascribed to the evil blood of his lawless begetting, and he would start
life under the powerful suggestion of a bad reputation. She resolved to
punish him. The core of her that was nothing but love for Richard, that
would have loved him utterly if they had not been mother and son, but
man and woman, or man and man, or woman and woman, cried out with
anguish that she should have to hurt him to guard against the destiny
which she herself had thrust upon him.

She said in a strained voice: "How dare you tell a lie to me and pretend
that you were going to the marshes?" He answered, his eyebrows meeting
and lying in straight, sullen bars: "I had to do that so's you wouldn't
worry about me not coming home. And I paid for myself with the sixpence
that was over from the five shillings Cousin Tom gave me at Christmas.
And you know it doesn't really matter about the measles, because I'm
strong and don't always go catching things like Roger does."

He made as if he were going to sit down at the table, but she said: "No,
you mustn't have any tea. Go to your room and undress. You've lied and
you've disobeyed. I'll have to whip you." Her heart was thumping so that
she thought she was going to faint. He lifted his chin a little higher
and said: "Very well, the circus was very good. It was quite worf this."
He marched out of the room and left her sick and quivering at her duty.
After she had heard him bang his door, she realised that Roger was
asking her again and again if he might have some more cherry jam, and
she answered, sighing deeply, "No, dear, it's too rich. If you have any
more you'll be ill," and she rose from the table and took the jar into
the larder. She decided to clear away tea first, but that only meant
carrying the tray backwards and forwards twice, and after a few moments
she found herself standing in the middle of the kitchen, shaking with
terror, while the other child whined about her skirts and stretched up
its abhorrent little arms. She pushed it aside, qualifying the harsh
movement with some insincere endearment, and went to Rich