Hewasafineopen-facedboy，withblueeyesandwavingflaxenhair，sturdyinlimb，butgenerousandsoftinheart，fondlyattachinghimselftoallwhoweregoodtohim——tothepony——toLordSouthdown，whogavehimthehorseheusedtoblushandglowalloverwhenhesawthatkindyoungnobleman——tothegroomwhohadchargeofthepony——toMolly，thecook，whocrammedhimwithghoststoriesatnight，andwithgoodthingsfromthedinner——toBriggs，whomheplaguedandlaughedat——andtohisfatherespecially，whoseattachmenttowardstheladwascurioustootowitness。Here，ashegrewtobeabouteightyearsold，hisattachmentsmaybesaidtohaveended。Thebeautifulmother-visionhadfadedawayafterawhile。Duringneartwoyearsshehadscarcelyspokentothechild。Shedislikedhim。Hehadthemeaslesandthehooping-cough。Heboredher。Onedaywhenhewasstandingatthelanding-place，havingcreptdownfromtheupperregions，attractedbythesoundofhismother’svoice，whowassingingtoLordSteyne，thedrawingroomdooropeningsuddenly，discoveredthelittlespy，whobutamomentbeforehadbeenraptindelight，andlisteningtothemusic。
Hismothercameoutandstruckhimviolentlyacoupleofboxesontheear。HeheardalaughfromtheMarquisintheinnerroomwhowasamusedbythisfreeandartlessexhibitionofBecky’stemperandfleddownbelowtohisfriendsofthekitchen，burstinginanagonyofgrief。
“Itisnotbecauseithurtsme。”littleRawdongaspedout——“only——only“——sobsandtearswoundupthesentenceinastorm。Itwasthelittleboy’sheartthatwasbleeding。”Whymayn’tIhearhersinging？Whydon’tsheeversingtome——asshedoestothatbaldheadedmanwiththelargeteeth？”Hegaspedoutatvariousintervalstheseexclamationsofrageandgrief。Thecooklookedatthehousemaid，thehousemaidlookedknowinglyatthefootman——theawfulkitcheninquisitionwhichsitsinjudgementineveryhouseandknowseverything——
satonRebeccaatthatmoment。
Afterthisincident，themother’sdislikeincreasedtohatred；theconsciousnessthatthechildwasinthehousewasareproachandapaintoher。Hisverysightannoyedher。Fear，doubt，andresistancesprangup，too，intheboy’sownbosom。Theywereseparatedfromthatdayoftheboxesontheear。