JANE. Take no account of what she do say, girls, but sit you down in the warm and bide till I gets the time to take and look on the clothes which you have upon you. [_Moving about and putting tea things on the table_.] I be but just a-going to make a cup of tea for th’ old woman, with a drop of summat strong to it as will keep her from using of her tongue so free till morning time. ANNIE. [_Sitting down_.] Poor old woman, ’tis a sad thing when folks do come to such a pass as she. ROSE. And han’t got their proper sense to them, nor nothing. But she’s better off nor a poor creature what we saw crouching below the hedge as we was coming across the meadow. “Why,” I says to Annie, “it must be bad to have no home to bide in such a night as this!” Isn’t that so, Mrs. Browning? STEVE. Ah, you’re right there, you’re right. ROSE. I wouldn’t much care to be upon the road to-night, would you, Steve? VASHTI. And at that hour when th’ old year be passing out, and dark on all the land, the graves shall open and give up the dead which be in they. And, standing in the churchyard you may read the face to each, as the corpses do go by. There’s many a night as I have stood and have looked into they when them did draw near to I, but never the face I did seek. [_Here_ JANE, _who has been making a cup of tea_, _and who has poured something in it from a bottle_, _advances to_ VASHTI. JANE. Here, Vashti Reed, here’s a nice cup of hot tea for you. Take and drink it up and very likely ’twill warm th’ inside of you, for I’ll lay as you haven’t seen a mouthful of naught this day. STEVE. Ah, that’s it, that’s it. When folks do go leer ’tis a powerful lot of fancies as do get from the stomach to the heads of they. [VASHTI _takes the cup and slowly drinks_. DORRY. O, Miss Sims, you do look nice. Look, Gran’ma, at what Miss Sims have got on! VASHTI. [_Putting down her cup and leaning forward_.] Which of you be clothed for marriage? JANE. Get along of you, Gran, ’tis for the dance up at the school as they be come. VASHTI. Come you here—her what’s to wed our Steve. Come you here and let I look at you. My eyes bain’t so quick as they was once. Many tears have clouded they. But come you here. DORRY. Go along to her, Miss Sims, Granny wants to look at your nice things. ANNIE. [_Steps in front of_ VASHTI.] Here I be, Mrs. Reed. VASHTI. Be you the one what’s going to wed our Steve come New Year. ANNIE. That’s it, Mrs. Reed, that’s it. VASHTI. And be these garments which you be clothed in for marriage or for burial? STEVE. Come, Granny, have another cup of tea. Annie, don’t you take no account of she. ’Tis worry and that as have caused the mind of she to wander a bit, but she don’t mean nothing by it. ANNIE. All right, Steve. She don’t trouble me at all. [_To_ VASHTI.] ’Tis to be hoped as I shall make a good wife to Steve, Mrs. Reed.