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it'sLiza!' Thenroughlypushingthepeopleaside,hemadehiswaythroughthecrowdintothecentre,andthrustinghimselfbetweenthetwowomen,torethemapart.Heturnedfuriouslyonhiswife. 'ByGawd,I'llgiveyersomethin'forthis!' Andforamomenttheyallthreestoodsilentlylookingatoneanother. Anothermanhadbeenattractedbythecrowd,andhe,too,pushedhiswaythrough. 'Come'ome,Liza,'hesaid. 'Tom!' Hetookholdofherarm,andledherthroughthepeople,whogavewaytoletherpass.Theywalkedsilentlythroughthestreet,Tomverygrave,Lizaweepingbitterly. 'Oh,Tom,'shesobbedafterawhile,'Icouldn't'elpit!'Then,whenhertearspermitted,'Ididlove'imso!' Whentheygottothedoorsheplaintivelysaid:'Comein,'andhefollowedhertoherroom.Hereshesankontoachair,andgaveherselfuptohertears. Tomwettedtheendofatowelandbeganwipingherface,grimywithbloodandtears.Shelethimdoit,justmoaningamidhersobs: 'Youaregoodterme,Tom.' 'Cheerup,oldgal,'hesaidkindly,'it'sallovernow.' Afterawhiletheexcessofcryingbroughtitscessation.Shedranksomewater,andthentakingupabrokenhandglassshelookedatherself,saying: 'Iamasight!'andproceededtowindupherhair.'You'avebeengoodterme,Tom,'sherepeated,hervoicestillbrokenwithsobsandashesatdownbesidehershetookhishand. 'Na,Iain't,'heanswered'it'sonlywotanybody'ud'avedone.' 'Yerknow,Tom,'shesaid,afteralittlesilence,'I'msosorryIspokecrosslikewhenImetyerinthestreetyouain'tspoketermesince.' 'Oh,thet'sallovernow,oldlidy,weneedn'tthinkofthet.' 'Oh,butI'avetreatedyerbad.I'maregularwrong'un,Iam.' Hepressedherhandwithoutspeaking. 'Isay,Tom,'shebegan,afteranotherpause.'Didyerknowthet—well,youknow—beforeter-day?' Heblushedasheanswered: 'Yus.' Shespokeverysadlyandslowly. 'IthoughtyerdidyerseemedsocutuplikewhenIusedtomeetyer.Yerdidlovemethen,Tom,didn'tyer?' 'Idonow,dearie,'heanswered. 'Ah,it'stoolitenow,'shesighed. 'D'yerknow,Liza,'hesaid,'Ijustabahtkickedthelifeahtofafeller'cause'esaidyouwasmessin'abahtwith—with'im.' 'An'yerknewIwas?' 'Yus—butIwasn'tgoin'ter'aveanyonesayitbeforeme.' 'They'veallroundedonmeexceptyou,Tom.I'd'avedonebetterifI'dtikenyouwhenyouarstmeIshouldn'tbewhereIamnow,ifI'ad.' 'Well,won'tyernow?Won'tyer'avemenow?' 'Me?Afterwot's'appened?' 'Oh,Idon'tmindabahtthet.Thetdon'tmattertermeifyou'llmarryme.Ifaircan'tlivewithoutyer,Liza—won'tyer?' Shegroaned. 'Na,Ican't,Tom,itwouldn'tberight.' 'Why,not,ifIdon'tmind?' 'Tom,'shesaid,lookingdown,almostwhispering,'I'mlikethat—youknow!' 'Wotd'yermean?' Shecouldscarcelyutterthewords— 'IthinkI'minthefamilywy.' Hepausedamomentthenspokeagain. 'Well—Idon'tmind,ifyer'llonlymarryme.' 'Na,Ican't,Tom,'shesaid,burstingintotears'Ican't,butyouaresogoodtermeI'ddoanythin'termikeitupteryou.' Sheputherarmsroundhisneckandslidontohisknees. 'Yerknow,Tom,Icouldn'tmarryyernowbutanythin'else—ifyerwantsmeterdoanythin'else,I'lldoitifit'llmikeyou'appy.' Hedidnotunderstand,butonlysaid: 'You'reagoodgal,Liza,'andbendingdownhekissedhergravelyontheforehead. Thenwithasighheliftedherdown,andgettingupleftheralone.Forawhileshesatwherehelefther,butasshethoughtofallshehadgonethroughherlonelinessandmiseryovercameher,thetearswelledforth,andthrowingherselfonthebedsheburiedherfaceinthepillows. JimstoodlookingatLizaasshewentoffwithTom,andhiswifewatchedhimjealously. 'It's'eryou'rethinkin'abaht.Ofcourseyou'd'avelikedtertike'er'omeyerself,Iknow,an'leavemetoshiftformyself.' 'Shutup!'saidJim,angrilyturninguponher. 'Ishan'tshutup,'sheanswered,raisinghervoice.'Nice'usbindyouare.Go'lumme,asgoodastheymike'em!Nicethingtergoan'leaveyerwifeandchildrenforathinglikethet!Atyourage,too!Yououghterbeashimedofyerself.Why,it'slikemessin'abahtwithyourowndaughter!' 'ByGod!'—hegroundhisteethwithrage—'ifyerdon'tleavemealone,I'llkickthelifeahtofyer!' 'There!'shesaid,turningtothecrowd—'there,see'ow'etreatsme!Listenterthat!I'vebeen'iswifefortwentyyears,an'yercouldn't'ave'adabetterwife,an'I'vebore'imninechildren,yetsaynothin'ofamiscarriage,an'I'vegotanothercomin',an'thet's'ow'etreatsme!Nice'usbind,ain'tit?'Shelookedathimscornfully,thenagainatthesurroundersasiffortheiropinion. 'Well,Iain'tgoin'terstay'ereallnightgetahtofthelight!'Hepushedasidethepeoplewhobarredhisway,andtheoneortwowhogrowledalittleathisroughness,lookingathisangryface,wereafraidtocomplain. 'Lookat'im!'saidhiswife.''E'safraid,'eis.See'imslinkin'awylikeabloomin'mongrelwith'istailbetween'islegs.Ugh!'Shewalkedjustbehindhim,shoutingandbrandishingherarms. 'Yerdirtybeast,you,'sheyelled,'tergofoolin'abahtwithalittlegirl!Ugh!Iwishyerwasn'tmy'usbindIwouldn'tbeseendrownedwithyer,ifIcould'elpit.Yermikemesickterlookatyer.' Thecrowdfollowedthemonbothsidesoftheroad,keepingatadiscreetdistance,butstilleagerlylistening. Jimturnedonheronceortwiceandsaid: 'Shutup!' Butitonlymadehermoreangry.'ItellyerIshan'tshutup.Idon'tcare'ooknowsit,you'rea——,youare!I'mashimedthechildrenshould'avesuchafatherasyou.D'yerthinkIdidn'tknowwotyouwasupterthemnightsyouwasawy—courtin',yus,courtin'?You'reaniceman,youare!' Jimdidnotanswerher,butwalkedon.Atlastheturnedroundtothepeoplewhowerefollowingandsaid: 'Nathen,wotd'youwant'ere?Youjollywellclear,orI'llgivesomeofyousomethin'!' Theyweremostlyboysandwomen,andathiswordstheyshrankback. ''E'safraidtersyanythin'terme,'jeeredMrs.Blakeston.''E'sabeauty!' Jimenteredhishouse,andshefollowedhimtilltheycameupintotheirroom.Po