"You'll be glad
t' eat an' ask no questions when you're hungry enough! And don't go
pitying yourself and grieving over your bruises. If your eyes are
bulged and blacked a bit--what of it? Lord! I've seen men get it worse
than you an' come up smiling, but then to be sure they were men and
stronger than you. However, you'll be better to-morrow! So now go to
sleep and forget all about yourself if ye can--sleep till supper's
ready and when I say eat--eat."
"Many thanks, but I do not desire any supper."
"Wait till you smell it!"
"I shall neither smell it nor eat it," I answered, frowning, "because
I propose to rid you of my presence almost immediately."
"Meaning as you will cut your stick?"
"Certainly not! I mean that I shall take my departure just so soon as
I find myself sufficiently recovered."
"Why, then," said she, compressing her lips and jutting her round chin
at me in highly unfeminine fashion, "you'll have to jump or fly."
"What do you mean?"
"I shall take away the ladder!"
"You would never do such a thing!" quoth I, starting.
"Tush!" she retorted and, turning from me with a disdainful swirl of
her short petticoat, began to descend into the depths below, seeing
which, I scrambled to my feet and crossed to the trap, only to behold
her standing beneath me, the ladder dragged quite out of my reach.
"Fly down, little bird!" she cried insolently. "Jump, Jack--jump!" and
snapping finger and thumb at me, was gone before my anger might find
vent in words.
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