The things we do!

Ha! ha!" His laughter was cruel to hear.
"Why did I come down?" he continued in reply to our sad queries. "Why did
I come down, do you ask? Because she was wretched, and sent for me.
Because if I was at the end of the world, and she was to say, 'Jack,
come!' I'd come."
"And if she bade you go?" asked his friends.
"I would go; and I have gone. If she told me to jump into the sea, do you
think I would not do it? But I go; and when she is alone with him, do you
know what he does? He strikes her. Strikes that poor little thing! He has
owned to it. She fled from him and sheltered with the old woman who's
dead. He may be doing it now. Why did I ever shake hands with him? that's
humiliation sufficient, isn't it? But she wished it; and I'd black his
boots, curse him, if she told me. And because he wanted to keep my money
in his confounded bank; and because he knew he might rely upon my honour
and hers, poor dear child, he chooses to shake hands with me--me, whom he
hates worse than a thousand devils--and quite right too.


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