walking from the door leading into the kitchen, across the hall, through the drawing-room to its farthest window, which gave him a partial view of the drive, then back again into the hall and to the front door to stare into the deepening twilight. Every now and again he would bring his teeth together and grind them until his cheekbones tightened against the flesh of his face.
When at last he saw his son coming from the direction of the yard he took up a position in the middle of the hall. With his legs astride and his fists pressed on to his hips, he waited; but he had to wait some minutes before he came face to face with his son, because Daniel had come in by way of the kitchen and was taking his time before entering the hall. And when he did he paused for a moment and stared at the figure that looked ready for battle. Then the voice came at him, bawling, `What the hell do you mean by taking the trap without my 85 leave? And after I told you not to go to her, didn't I?`
Daniel walked slowly forward, to stop a couple of arm's lengths from his father, but he didn't speak. His eyes were on a level with his father's, for at sixteen he was unusually tall. As yet his body hadn't filled out, but he had broad shoulders and narrow hips and these two points promised a good figure in his manhood.
`For two pins I'd take you by that bloody scraggy neck of yours and twist it.`
`Why? Because I now know the truth about you?`
`What truth? The rubbish that your neurotic mother scribbled to fill in her time? You know what your mother was? She was an unnatural woman.Às Daniel stared at the face suffused with anger, his mind was again reading the words, Ì have come to such a pass that I cannot even allow myself to touch my son, for when I do I am seeing him become as his father, a ravenous beast, taking what he terms his rights without any show of tenderness or love.
Animals have a love display. I recall watching the peacocks in Grandpapa's garden. This man, who was keeping a mistress on the money I
provided, would also force himself on me. Only the threat that, of my own accord, I would walk out and into Fellburn and place myself in the hands of the Poor Law Guardians has restrained him, for he knows full well I would carry out this threat rather than have my body defiled again.`
His father had continued talking: his voice a growl now, he was saying, `You would think I had committed a bloody murder. Tell me the man that doesn't have a mistress or someone on the side.
Matthew Talbot has had a woman for years. But do you hear Lilian yarping on about it? No, she's got more sense. Even Shearman down on the farm has been carrying on with a piece in Fellburn, and to my knowledge he's fathered another hereabouts. And that narrow-minded, sanctimonious bitch throws it up in my face as if I was the only man in the land who took his pleasures on the side. And as for you, you young scut, I warned you not to listen to her.`
For the first time Daniel broke in, saying, `No, I wasn't listening to Pattie, I was just reading Mother's diaries and discovering what she suffered under a man who doesn't know what tenderness or kindness is.`
Òh my God! now you. Boy, you 87 don't know what you're talking about; you've had it too easy.
But let me tell you, your pleasant life has stopped from now on, for you're not going back to that school; you're staying here and learning what it is to work for your living.`
These words came as a shock to Daniel, and the prospect of being kept at home and learning farming seemed for the moment to cut off his future life, the life he had planned in his mind: he was going to stay at the High School until he was eighteen or more: Mr Pearson had indicated he had a good head on his shoulders and should then aim for an open scholarship at either Oxford or Cambridge. He fancied being a doctor because he was good at natural philosophy and chemistry.
So bleak was the prospect his father was presenting him with that, the shock
When at last he saw his son coming from the direction of the yard he took up a position in the middle of the hall. With his legs astride and his fists pressed on to his hips, he waited; but he had to wait some minutes before he came face to face with his son, because Daniel had come in by way of the kitchen and was taking his time before entering the hall. And when he did he paused for a moment and stared at the figure that looked ready for battle. Then the voice came at him, bawling, `What the hell do you mean by taking the trap without my 85 leave? And after I told you not to go to her, didn't I?`
Daniel walked slowly forward, to stop a couple of arm's lengths from his father, but he didn't speak. His eyes were on a level with his father's, for at sixteen he was unusually tall. As yet his body hadn't filled out, but he had broad shoulders and narrow hips and these two points promised a good figure in his manhood.
`For two pins I'd take you by that bloody scraggy neck of yours and twist it.`
`Why? Because I now know the truth about you?`
`What truth? The rubbish that your neurotic mother scribbled to fill in her time? You know what your mother was? She was an unnatural woman.Às Daniel stared at the face suffused with anger, his mind was again reading the words, Ì have come to such a pass that I cannot even allow myself to touch my son, for when I do I am seeing him become as his father, a ravenous beast, taking what he terms his rights without any show of tenderness or love.
Animals have a love display. I recall watching the peacocks in Grandpapa's garden. This man, who was keeping a mistress on the money I
provided, would also force himself on me. Only the threat that, of my own accord, I would walk out and into Fellburn and place myself in the hands of the Poor Law Guardians has restrained him, for he knows full well I would carry out this threat rather than have my body defiled again.`
His father had continued talking: his voice a growl now, he was saying, `You would think I had committed a bloody murder. Tell me the man that doesn't have a mistress or someone on the side.
Matthew Talbot has had a woman for years. But do you hear Lilian yarping on about it? No, she's got more sense. Even Shearman down on the farm has been carrying on with a piece in Fellburn, and to my knowledge he's fathered another hereabouts. And that narrow-minded, sanctimonious bitch throws it up in my face as if I was the only man in the land who took his pleasures on the side. And as for you, you young scut, I warned you not to listen to her.`
For the first time Daniel broke in, saying, `No, I wasn't listening to Pattie, I was just reading Mother's diaries and discovering what she suffered under a man who doesn't know what tenderness or kindness is.`
Òh my God! now you. Boy, you 87 don't know what you're talking about; you've had it too easy.
But let me tell you, your pleasant life has stopped from now on, for you're not going back to that school; you're staying here and learning what it is to work for your living.`
These words came as a shock to Daniel, and the prospect of being kept at home and learning farming seemed for the moment to cut off his future life, the life he had planned in his mind: he was going to stay at the High School until he was eighteen or more: Mr Pearson had indicated he had a good head on his shoulders and should then aim for an open scholarship at either Oxford or Cambridge. He fancied being a doctor because he was good at natural philosophy and chemistry.
So bleak was the prospect his father was presenting him with that, the shock
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