What’ve you done except make a monkey of yourself?”
“I’ve paid my own way,” Eugene cried resentfully, stung and wounded.
“That’s what I’ve done.”
“Ah-h,” said Ben, with an ugly sneer, “you little fool!
That’s what they’ve been after!
Do you think you’ve put anything over on them?
Do you?
Do you think they give a damn whether you die or not, as long as you save them expense?
What are you bragging about?
Don’t brag until you’ve got something out of them.”
Propped on his arm, he smoked deeply, in bitter silence, for a moment.
Then more quietly, he continued.
“No, ‘Gene.
Get it out of them any way you can.
Make them give it to you.
Beg it, take it, steal it — only get it somehow.
If you don’t, they’ll let it rot.
Get it, and get away from them.
Go away and don’t come back.
To hell with them!” he yelled.
Eliza, who had come softly upstairs to put out the lights, and had been standing for a moment outside the door, rapped gently and entered.
Clothed in a tattered old sweater and indefinable under-lappings, she stood for a moment with folded hands, peering in on them with a white troubled face.
“Children,” she said, pursing her lips reproachfully, and shaking her head, “it’s time every one was in bed.
You’re keeping the whole house awake with your talk.”
“Ah-h,” said Ben with an ugly laugh, “to hell with them.”
“I’ll vow, child!” she said fretfully.
“You’ll break us up.
Have you got that porch light on, too?”
Her eyes probed about suspiciously.
“What on earth do you mean by burning up all that electricity!”
“Oh, listen to this, won’t you?” said Ben, jerking his head upward with a jeering laugh.
“I can’t afford to pay all these bills,” said Eliza angrily, with a smart shake of her head.
“And you needn’t think I can. I’m not going to put up with it.
It’s up to us all to economize.”
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Ben jeered.
“Economize!
What for?
So you can give it all away to Old Man Doak for one of his lots?”
“Now, you needn’t get on your high-horse,” said Eliza.
“You’re not the one who has to pay the bills.
If you did, you’d laugh out of the other side of your mouth.
I don’t like any such talk.
You’ve squandered every penny you’ve earned because you’ve never known the value of a dollar.”
“Ah-h!” he said.
“The value of a dollar!
By God, I know the value of a dollar better than you do.
I’ve had a little something out of mine, at any rate.
What have you had out of yours?
I’d like to know that.
What the hell’s good has it ever been to any one?