" and he went into the little room and brought out his cap. "I lay
last night at the 'Bible and Hand,' and I must fetch my cloak and pack."

She stayed him by a gesture. "One moment," she said. "You are determined
to--to do this? To lodge here?"

"Firmly," he answered, smiling.

"Then wait." She passed by him and, moving to the fireplace, raised the
lid of the great black pot. The broth inside was boiling and bubbling to
within an inch of the lip, the steam rose from it in a fragrant cloud.
She took an iron spoon and looked at him, a strange look in her eyes.
"Stand where you are," she said, "and I will try you, if you are fit to
come to us or no. Stand, do you hear," she repeated, a note of
excitation, almost of mockery, in her voice, "where you are whatever
happens! You understand?"

"Yes, I am to stand here, whatever happens," he answered, wondering.
What was she going to do?

She was going to do a thing outside the limits of his imagination. She
dipped the iron spoon in the pot and, extending her left arm,
deliberately allowed some drops of the scalding liquor to fall on the
bare flesh. He saw the arm wince, saw red blisters spring out on the
white skin, he caught the sharp indraw of her breath, but he did not
move. Again she dipped the spoon, looking at him with defiant eyes, and
with the same deliberation she let the stuff fall on the living flesh.
This time the perspiration sprang out on her brow, her face burned
suddenly hot, her whole frame shrank under the torture.

"Don't!" he cried hoarsely. "I will not bear it! Don't!" And he uttered
a cry half-articulate, like a beast's.

"Stand there!" she said. And still he stood: stood, his hands clenched
and his lips drawn back from his teeth, while she dipped the spoon
again, and--though her arm shook now like an aspen and there were tears
of pain in her eyes--let the dreadful stuff fall a third time.

She was white when she turned to him. "If you do it again," he cried
furiously, "I will upset--the cursed pot."

"I have done," she said, smiling faintly. "I am not very brave--after
all!" And going to the dresser, her knees trembling under her, she
poured out some water and drank it greedily. Then she turned to him, "Do
you understand?" she said with a long tense look. "Are you prepared? If
you come here, you will see me suffer worse things, things a hundred
times, a thousand times worse than that. You will see me suffer, and you
will have to stand and see it