the women fell into two categories : those who had been tugged there by the ties of blood or prospective matrimony ( after which they could stop pretending that this bloody mess was in any way engrossing ) , and a number of elderly women of a 'sweet old lady ' construction , who bawled indiscriminately , in a rising cloud of lavender and peppermint , screams of 'get 'im dahn an ' kick 'im inna nuts ! '