Ed Cales. (_Hesitatingly_) Is-Israel is--is Jeff’s. (_Aunt Rebecca grunts and nods. Lucy Belle goes out, Left. Aunt Rebecca sits pondering for several moments and then begins to chant._) AUNT REBECCA (_chanting_) Um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a! Trouble in mah soul! Um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a! Trouble in mah soul! Um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a! Trouble in mah soul! Um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a--um--a! (_A knock sounds on the door, Back. Aunt Rebecca glances toward the door and gives an annoyed grunt. The knock sounds again. Aunt Rebecca gets up, grumbling to herself, goes to the door and opens it. Lizzie Gibbs steps in. She is a large, voluptuous, mulatto woman. She has straight hair, high cheek bones, and large coarse features. Her manner is over-bearing and insolent._) LIZZIE H’yo’--? AUNT REBECCA (_surveying her with an air of frank suspicion and disapproval_) W’at yo’ wan’--? LIZZIE (_swaggering down toward Center with her hands on her hips_) Sam Reed live yere, don’ he--? AUNT REBECCA None ob yo’ bus’ness weder he do or weder he don’--! LIZZIE (_savagely_) Go ’long, yo’ ole black wench! Don’ yo’ give me no back talk! (_Glaring at her malevolently._) Don’ yo ’spose I knows he live yere--! Is he home? AUNT REBECCA (_sullenly_) Don’ know. LIZZIE Whar is he--? AUNT REBECCA Don’ know. LIZZIE Yo’ don’ know nuffin’, d’yo’--? (_Aunt Rebecca stands glaring fiercely at Lizzie. Lucy Belle can be heard in the next room speaking to the children._) LIZZIE Lucy Belle’s yere, _ain’_ she--? AUNT REBECCA (_shortly_) I reckon so. LIZZIE Tell her I wan’ ter see her. (_Aunt Rebecca hesitates for a moment, then shuffles over toward the door on the left, and goes out. Lizzie swaggers about the room, examining various objects with an expression of sardonic contempt. Presently Lucy Belle enters, Left--falteringly._) LIZZIE (_pausing, hunching herself down on one hip, and gazing at Lucy Belle with an expression of sneering venom_) ’Lo Luce! LUCY BELLE W’at yo’ wan’--? LIZZIE (_with an explosive, sardonic laugh_) Listen ter yo’--! LUCY BELLE I--I done tol’ yo’ dat I don’ know whar Sam is! LIZZIE (_harshly_) Look yere, gal, d’yo’ think yo’ puttin’ somefin’ ovah on me? LUCY BELLE Dat’s de Gawd’s truf--I’m tellin’ yo’. LIZZIE Tryin’ ter make out he ain’ nevah yere--! LUCY BELLE He ain’--! Hones’-- LIZZIE Yo’ lie--! Yo’ knows whar he is--an’ w’en he come home as well as yo’ standin’ dere--! LUCY BELLE I ain’ seen him in Gawd knows w’en--! LIZZIE People in de neighborhood tell me dey see him yere ev’y few days--! LUCY BELLE Dey crazy--! Shootin’ off dey moufs ’bout somefin’ dey don’ know nuffin’ ’bout--! LIZZIE Does yo’ think yo’ gwine ter salt him away--an’ nevah let nobody lay eyes on him agin? LUCY BELLE W’at ’ud I be doin’ anathin’ like dat fo’--? LIZZIE (_mockingly_) Yas--w’at would yo’ be doin’ anathin’ like dat fo’--? LUCY BELLE