Naw, A thocht no’. (She has now come to the fireplace, where she sits in an arm- chair.) It’s mony a year sin’ we hud yin tae speak o’. A don’t mind o’ hearin’ the alarm bell ringin’ mair than yince, or mebbe twict since yer uncle wis kill’t. That wis somethin’ like a do. There wis mair than twinty kill’t that time an’ mebbe forty or mair that wis hurt. A’ve heard folks say there his been bigger accidents in America, but A don’t tak’ ower much notice o’ they newspaper tales masel’. Eh, it micht a’ been yesterday. MARY Tell me aboot it, Auntie. Ye’ve never tell’t me hoo it happen’t. ELLEN Eh? Bless the lass, whit’s the use o’ that! Seems to me we’re baith o’ us a bit cracket the day. We’ve got accident on the brain. MARY They ay ring the bell don’t they, Auntie, when onythin’ gaes wrang? ELLEN No! fur an odd man an’ ‘is laddie nipped in a roof fall, jist if it’s a big thing. Look here, lass, if ye cannae talk o’ naethin’ bit accidents, ye’d better shut up. (She rises from her chair.) Whit wi’ ma dream an’ your worryin’ A don’t know where A am. MARY A wis jist askin’. Ye never can ken wi’ a coal-pit whin its gaun tae git nesty an’ a man cannae ay mind whaur he is whin he’s doon. ELLEN They’re watched shairper gaun doon nooadays an the men ken better nor tae take risks theirsel’s, the way they use’t tae in the auld days. MARY Aye, but a man that forgets yinst ‘ll forget yinst too often. ELLEN A’ve tell’t ye tae quit bletherin’. Folks ‘ud think ye hudnae lived aside pits mair nor a week tae hear ye talk daft like that. There’s ay danger and naebody but a born fool wid say there wis’nt, but it’ll no’ mend it tae go thinkin’ aboot it. There’s coal there an’ it’s got tae be got and that’s the first an’ last o’t. Hae ye pit tea in the pot? MARY Naw. ELLEN Ye’d better dae it then. [Mary puts tea in the tea-pot from a canister on the mantelshelf As she does so, a heavy bell rings clangorously. MARY Whit’s that? ELLEN (quietly and slowly bending her head as if to a physical blow) God’s wull be dune. MARY Is it——? ELLEN Aye. (Then, as Mary makes for the door.) Whaur are ye gaun, lass? MARY A’m gaun tae the pit tae see whit’s up. ELLEN