.

.

A woman who has only given me daughters.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself." The same hand that negligently extracted from his pocket a wad of bills rolled into a ball, giving them away capriciously without knowing just how much, also wore a lash hanging from the wrist.

It was supposed to be for his horse, but it was used with equal facility when any of his peons incurred his wrath.
"I strike because I can," he would say to pacify himself.
One day, the man receiving the blow, took a step backward, hunting for the knife in his belt.
"You are not going to beat me, Patron.