VASHTI. [_Calling out loudly_.] Come back to I, May—you come back to
I—there bain’t no one what thinks on the name of you, or what wants you
but your old mother. You come back to I!
JANE. I’ll thank you for to shut your mouth, old Vashti! ’Tain’t
nothing to be proud on as you’ve got, and ’twould be better if you was to
be less free in your hollering. Look, here’s Dorry coming.
[DORRY _comes into the kitchen_; _she is wearing her new white frock_.
DORRY. See, Granny, I’ve been and put it on for to show you better. See
the lace? Isn’t it nice? And the beads, too. I didn’t stop for to put
on my shoes, nor my new stockings. Nor my hat, what’s got a great long
feather all round of it.
JANE. You bad, naughty girl, Dorry, you’ll crease and tumble that frock
so as it’s not fit to be seen to-morrow! Whatever did you go to put it
on for?
DORRY. So as that Gran should see something pretty, and so as she should
come out of her trouble. Gran’s always got some trouble in her mind,
han’t you, Granny?
VASHTI. A twelve year gone by, my child.
JANE. I’ll give it you if you starts off again.
VASHTI. A twelve year gone by—
DORRY. A twelve year gone by, what then, Granny?
VASHTI. ’Tis more’n eleven years since her wented out of the door, my
child—your poor mammy. Out of the door, out of the door! And likely as
not ’twill be feet first as her shall be brought in again.
DORRY. Granny, was my poor mammy, what’s dead, nice looking like Miss
Sims as is going for to marry Dad, to-morrow?
VASHTI. ’Twas grand as a tree in full leaf and the wind a-moving all the
green of it as was your mammy, my dear.
DORRY. And did she have fine things to her, nice gowns and things, like
Miss Sims, Granny?
JANE. ’Twas the looks of her and the love of finery and pleasuring what
was her undoing, as ’twill be the undoing of you, too, Dorry, if you
don’t take care. ’Tis she as you favours, and none of your father’s
people, more’s the pity, and ’tis more thoughtful and serious as you’ll
have to grow if you don’t want to come to harm. You take and go right
up, and off with that frock, do you hear me?
DORRY. O, I wanted to be let to go to the dancing now I’d got it on, I
did.
JANE. Dancing, there you are! Dancing and finery, ’tis all as you do
think on, and ’tis plain to see what’s got working in the inside of you,
Dorry. ’Tis the drop of bad blood as you has got from she what bore you.
But I might as well speak to that door for all you cares. Only, hark you
here, you’ll be sorry one of these days as you han’t minded me better.
And then ’twill be too late.
[STEVE _comes down the stairs_, _pushes open the door and enters_.
STEVE. Well, Mother, what’s up now? Gran, you here? Why, Dorry, what
be you a-crying for?
DORRY. I wants to be let to go to the dancing, Dad—now that I’ve got my
frock on and all.—O, I wants to be let to go.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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