Aye. ELLEN Mine’s is in’t. POLLY We’ll shune ken the warst. They wis riggin’ tackle whin A come away. They’ll huv them up in nae time. ELLEN A’ll be ready. Whaur’s yours? POLLY (who has come into the room) Mine’s aw richt-safe in their beds- sleepin’ aff last nicht’s drink, thank the Lord. ELLEN They must bring him here, Polly, nae maitter whit he’s like. POLLY Aye. A body likes tae dae fur her ain. Whaur’s the lass? Awa’ tae the piti. ELLEN Makin’ his bed in case its needet. POLLY That’s richt. Don’t let her oot. ELLEN No’ if A can help it. She wantet tae go, but A widnae huv it. Ye’ll see things at a pit-heid efter an accident that’s no fit fur a young yin. Waste her life fur her to be there whin they’re brung up. POLLY Aye. A’m no’ gaun back. A’ve seen anough, never nae mair if A can help it. ELLEN Come in, wull ye? POLLY Aye. A’d best shut the door, tac, an’ keep oot the row or she’ll be wantin’ tae go. [She closes the door and takes a chair at the table. ELLEN Aye. They cannae sit quiet when they’re young. POLLY That’s a fact. A mind the day when the pit wis on fire. A wis only a wee lassie then, bit ma mither had nae mair sense nor tae let me oot tae the pit—heid tae see the bodies brung up. A’ll never forget that sicht. A dream aboot it tae this day. ELLEN Sit doon, Polly. A bit o’ comp’ny comes handy at a time like this. POLLY (sitting) Thenk ye. ELLEN Aye. It’s a thing ye cannae forget. Seems as if it wis only the ither day A heard the bell ringin’ an’ saw ma man brung up. He wis that charred A only kent him by the earrin’s he wore because his eyes wis weak. They tell’t me efter that a rabbit had crossed his road on the wey tae the pit, but he always wis obstinate, wis ma Joe an’ he widnae tak’ warnin’ and noo the cage has slipped wi’ ma son in her and A’ll hae nae menfolk noo. [The door from the bedroom has been opening slowly, and Mary listens. The others do not see her. POLLY Ye never ken. Mebbe he’ll no’ be kill’t. ELLEN A dream’t the same dream last nicht as when his faither went. POLLY In the midst o’ life we are in death. There’s no’ a truer word nor that. ELLEN