Summary

Portrait of Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill The Big Bow Mystery — CHAPTER VIII (1895)

Thus the lightning passed harmlessly over his head and flew toward Cantercot.
"What do I mean?" Mrs. Crowl echoed, as if there had been no interval. "I mean that it would be a good thing if you had been murdered."
"What unbeautiful ideas you have, to be sure!" murmured Denzil.
"Yes; but they'd be useful," said Mrs. Crowl, who had not lived with Peter all these years for nothing. "And if you haven't been murdered what have you been doing?"
"My dear, my dear," put in Crowl, deprecatingly, looking up from his quadrupedal position like a sad dog, "you are not Cantercot's keeper."
Source: Wikisource

Portrait of Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill The Big Bow Mystery — CHAPTER VIII (1895)

Cantercot is thirsty."
"Does he care if my children are hungry?"
Denzil tossed the water greedily down his throat almost at a gulp, as if it were brandy.
"Madam," he said, smacking his lips, "I do care. I care intensely. Few things in life would grieve me more deeply than to hear that a child, a dear little child—the Beautiful in a nutshell—had suffered hunger. You wrong me." His voice was tremulous with the sense of injury. Tears stood in his eyes.
"Wrong you? I've no wish to wrong you," said Mrs. Crowl. "I should like to hang you."
Source: Wikisource

Portrait of Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill The Big Bow Mystery — CHAPTER VIII (1895)

The fact added the last touch of pathos to the occasion. Crowl's face was hidden behind his red handkerchief; even the fire of excitement in Wimp's eye was quenched for a moment by a tear-drop, as he thought of Mrs. Wimp and Wilfred. As for Grodman, there was almost a lump in his throat. Denzil Cantercot was the only unmoved man in the room. He thought the episode quite too Beautiful, and was already weaving it into rhyme.
At the conclusion of his speech Mr. Gladstone called upon Tom Mortlake to unveil the portrait. Tom rose, pale and excited.
Source: Wikisource

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