She shrank from him in a way that increased the dislike, although he made some efforts to reconcile her to him.
One day, a year and a half after his marriage, he accosted the child, and she, shrinking with dread, failed to do his bidding.

He boxed her ears, and she cried out with pain.
That scream roused Robert, and he flew tooth and nail at the stepfather.
Hugh Price, unprepared for this violent attack, shook the lad off, held him at arm's length for a moment and said: "I may as well do it now as ever." Robert was in a maze, and to him it seemed a dream.

His mother was weeping and imploring, his sister screaming, and the faithful slave Dinah howling.

As Price took him toward the door, his mother ran toward them; but the husband angrily raised his disengaged hand and growled: "Dorothe, you are a perfect fool!" Robert saw her stop her ears, then heard her crying, as he was led slowly and gravely to his room.

The supreme moment had arrived when Mr.
Hugh Price was to glut his vengeance.