“Oh, for God’s sake!” he said, with a contemptuous laugh. He smoked for a moment. Then he went on quietly:
“No, mama. You’ve done very little to make us grateful to you. The rest of us ran around wild and the kid grew up here among the dope-fiends and street-walkers. You’ve pinched every penny and put all you’ve had into real estate which has done no one any good. So don’t wonder if your kids aren’t grateful to you.”
“Any son who will talk that way to his mother,” said Eliza with rankling bitterness, “is bound to come to a bad end. Wait and see!”
“The hell you say!” he sneered. They stared at each other with hard bitter eyes. He turned away in a moment, scowling with savage annoyance, but stabbed already with fierce regret.
“All right! Go on, for heaven’s sake! Leave us alone! I don’t want you around!” He lit a cigarette to show his indifference. The lean white fingers trembled, and the flame went out.
“Let’s stop it!” said Eugene wearily. “Let’s stop it! None of us is going to change! Nothing’s going to get any better. We’re all going to be the same. We’ve said all this before. So, for God’s sake, let’s stop it! Mama, go to bed, please. Let’s all go to bed and forget about it.” He went to her, and with a strong sense of shame, kissed her.
“Well, good-night, son,” said Eliza slowly, with gravity. “If I were you I’d put the light out now and turn in. Get a good night’s sleep, boy. You mustn’t neglect your health.”
She kissed him, and went away without another glance at the older boy. He did not look at her. They were parted by hard and bitter strife.
After a moment, when she had gone, Ben said without anger:
“I’ve had nothing out of life. I’ve been a failure. I’ve stayed here with them until I’m done for. My lungs are going: they won’t even take a chance on me for the army. They won’t even give the Germans a chance to shoot at me. I’ve never made good at anything. By God!” he said, in a mounting blaze of passion. “What’s it all about? Can you figure it out,’Gene? Is it really so, or is somebody playing a joke on us? Maybe we’re dreaming all this. Do you think so?”
