She's not for the likes of you or any other man that's got a wife and children over in England--" This was the suddenly-thought-of burden of a discussion over the cups one night at the canteen, soon after Gard's arrival, when the possibility of his being a married man had been mooted and had remained in Tom's turgid brain as a fact.
"By the Lord!" cried Gard, starting up in black fury, "if you can't behave yourself I'll break every bone in your body." And Nance's face, which had unconsciously stiffened at Tom's words, glowed again at Gard's revelation of the natural man in him, and her eyes shone with various emotions--doubts, hopes, fears, and a keen interest in what would follow.
The first thing that followed was the dish of butter, which hurtled past Gard's head and crashed into the face of the clock, and then fell with a flop to the earthen floor.
The next was Tom's lowered head and cumbrous body, as he charged like a bull into Gard and both rolled to the ground, the table escaping catastrophe by a hair's-breadth.
Mrs.Hamon had sprung up with clasped hands and piteous face.

Nance and Bernel had sprung up also, with distress in their faces but still more of interest.

They had come to a certain reliance on Gard's powers, and how many and many a time had they longed to be able to give Tom a well-deserved thrashing! Through the open door of her room came Grannie's hard little voice, "Now then! Now then! What are you about there ?" but no one had time to tell her.
Gard was up in a moment, panting hard, for Tom's bull-head had caught him in the wind.
"If you want ...

to fight ...

come outside!" he jerked.
"-- -- you!" shouted Tom, as he struggled to his knees and then to his feet.