"Now unfasten that case, Antony," he said in quite a faint whisper; and
going down on one knee I unbuckled a thick strap that was round it, and
was about to raise the lid, but it was locked.
"That will do," he said, suddenly changing his tone as he seized me by
the jacket collar with one hand, the strap with the other. "You young
villain!" he hissed; "you dog! Didn't I tell you to say I was out, and
you let that bully in? I'll give you such a lesson as you will never
forget."
I was half stupefied as he raised the thick strap, and then brought it
heavily down in blow after blow, cutting me all over the body, across
the face, hands, legs, anywhere, and causing the most intense pain. I
writhed and twined and screamed out under the first few blows in my
agony; then a feeling of blind passion came over me, and I caught at and
struggled with him for the possession of the strap, but in vain; for he
kept me at bay with one hand and continued to beat me cruelly till I
fell and then, placing one foot upon my chest, he beat me again till his
arm fell in weariness to his side.
"I'll teach you to mind me another time," he panted, as he gloated over
me in his pitiful revenge for the beating he had himself received.
"I'll give you something to remember this day by;" and, as I rose, he
once more began to strike me; but this time I caught at the strap and
held it with hands and teeth, twisting it round me and holding on while
he strove to drag it away.
My resistance seemed to half madden him as I still held on.
"Let go, you dog!" he roared, "let go!" but I held on the more tightly;
when, beside himself with rage, as a loud knocking came now at the inner
door, he caught up a heavy office ruler from the table and struck me so
cruel a blow across the head that I staggered backwards, and should have
fallen to the floor if the door had not been dashed in and Mary caught
me up.