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ntthroughherafeelingofcomfortablewarmth. 'Ireallydothinkit'sdoin'megood,'shesaid,wipinghereyesandgivingasighofreliefasthecryingceased. 'Iknewitwould.Tikemywordforit,ifpeopletookalittledropofspiritsintime,there'dbemuchlesssicknessabaht.' Theysatforawhileinsilence,thenMrs.Kempremarked: 'Yerknow,Liza,itstrikesmeas'owwecoulddowithadropmore.Younotbein'inthe'abitoftikin'anythin'Ionlybroughtjustthislittledropformean'itain'ttookuslongterfinishthetup.Butasyou'reaninvalidlikewe'llgitalittlemorethistimeit'ssureterturnahtuseful.' 'Butyouain'tgotnothin'terputitin.' 'Yus,I'ave,'answeredMrs.Kemp'there'sthetbottleastheygivesmeatthe'orspital.Justemptythemedicineahtintothepile,an'washitaht,an'I'lltikeitroundtothepubmyself.' Liza,whenshewasleftalone,begantoturnthingsoverinhermind.Shedidnotfeelsoutterlyunhappyasbefore,forthethingsshehadgonethroughseemedfurtheraway. 'Afterall,'shesaid,'itdon'tsomuchmatter.' Mrs.Kempcamein. ''Avealittledropmore,Liza.'shesaid. 'Well,Idon'tmindifIdo.I'llgetsometumblers,shallI?There'snomistikeabahtit,'sheadded,whenshehadtakenalittle,'itdobuckyerup.' 'You'reright,Liza—you'reright.An'youwanteditbadly.Fancyyou'avin'afightwithawoman!Oh,I've'adsomeinmyday,butthenIwasn'talittlebitofathinglikeyouis.IwishI'dbeenthere,Iwouldn't'avestoodbyan'lookedonwhilemydaughterwasgettin'theworstofitalthoughI'mturnedsixty-five,an'gettin'onforsixty-six,I'd'avesaidto'er:"Ifyoutouchmydaughteryou'll'avemeterdealwith,sojustlookaht!"' Shebrandishedherglass,andthatremindingher,sherefilleditandLiza's. 'Ah,Liza,'sheremarked,'you'reachipoftheoldblock.Terseeyousettin'therean''avin'yourlittledrop,itmikesmefeelasifIwaslivin'abetterlife.Yerusedterberather'ardonme,Liza,'causeItookalittledroponSaturdaynights.An',mind,Idon'tsyIdidn'ttikealittledroptoomuchsometimes—accidentswilloccureveninthebestregulatedoffamilies,butwotIsayisthis—it'sgoodstuff,Isay,an'itdon't'urtyer.' 'Buckup,oldgal!'saidLiza,fillingtheglasses,'no'eel-taps.Ifeellikeanewwomannow.Iwasthetdahninthedumps—well,Ishouldn't'avecaredifI'dbeenatthebottomoftheriver,an'thet'sthetruth.' 'Youdon'tsyso,'repliedheraffectionatemother. 'Yus,Ido,an'Imeanittoo,butIdon'tfeellikethetnow.You'reright,mother,whenyou'reintroublethere'snothin'likeabitofspirits.' 'Well,ifIdon'tknow,Idunno'oodoes,forthetroubleI've'ad,it'udbeenoughtokillmanywomen.Well,I've'adthirteenchildren,an'youcanthinkwotthetwaseveryoneI'adIusedtersyIwouldn't'avenomore—butonedoes,yerknow.You'll'aveafamilysomeday,Liza,an'Ishouldn'twonderifyoudidn't'aveasmanyasme.Wecomefromaveryprodigalfamily,wedo,we'veallgoneinterdoublefigures,exceptyourAuntMary,whoonly'adthree—butthenshewasn'tmarried,soitdidn'tcount,like.' Theydrankeachother'shealth.EverythingwasgettingblurredtoLiza,shewaslosingherhead. 'Yus,'wentonMrs.Kemp,'I've'adthirteenchildrenan'I'mproudofit.Asyourpoordearfatherusedtersy,itshowsas'owone'sgotthebloodofaBritoninone.Yourpoordearfather,'ewasagreat'andatspeakin''ewas:'eusedterspeakatparliamentarymeetin's—Ireallybelieve'e'd'avebeenaMemberofParliamentif'e'dbeenalivenow.Well,asIwassayin',yourfather'eusedtersy,"Noneofyoursmallfamiliesforme,Idon'tapproveofthem,"says'e.'Ewasamanofvery'ighprinciples,an'bypolitics'ewasaRadical."No,"says'e,when'egottalkin',"whenamancan'aveafamilyrisin'intodoublefigures,itshows'e'sgotthebackboneofaBritonin'im.That'sthestuffas'asbuiltupEngland'snimeandglory!WhenonethinksofthemightyBritishHempire,"says'e,"onwhichthesunneversetsfrommornin'tillnight,one'asterbeproudof'isself,an'one'asterdoone'sdutyinthetwalkoflifeinwhichit'aspleasedProvidencetersetone—an'everyman'sfustdutyistergetasmanychildrenas'ebloomin'wellcan."Lordloveyer—'ecouldtalk,Icantellyer.' 'Drinkup,mother,'saidLiza.'You'renot'alfdrinkin'.'Sheflourishedthebottle.'Idon'tcareatwopanny'angforallthemblokesI'mquite'appy,an'Idon'twantanythin'else.' 'Icanseeyou'remydaughternow,'saidMrs.Kemp.'WhenyerusedterroundonmeIusedterthinkas'owifI'adn'tcarriedyerforninemonths,itmust'avebeensomemistike,an'yerwasn'tmydaughteratall.Whenyoucometerthinkofit,aman'edon'tknowifit's'ischildorsomebodyelse's,butyercan'tdeceiveawomanlikethet.Yercouldn'tpalmoffsomebodyelse'skidon'er.' 'Iambeginnin'terfeelquitelively,'saidLiza.'Idunnowotitis,butIfeelasifIwantedtolaughtillIfairlysplitmysides.' Andshebegantosing:'For'e'sajollygoodfeller—for'e'sajollygoodfeller!' Herdresswasalldisarrangedherfacecoveredwiththescarsofscratches,andclotsofbloodhadfixedunderhernosehereyehadswollenupsothatitwasnearlyclosed,andredherhairwashangingoverherfaceandshoulders,andshelaughedstupidlyandleeredwithheavy,soddenugliness. 'Disy,Disy!Ican'taffordakerridge. Butyou'lllookneat,ontheseat Ofabicyclemidefortwo.' Sheshoutedoutthetunes,beatingtimeonthetable,andhermother,grinning,withherthin,greyhairhangingdishevelledoverherhead,joinedinwithherweak,crackedvoice— 'Oh,demgoldenkippers,oh!' ThenLizagrewmoremelancholyandbrokeinto'AuldLangSyne'. 'Shouldoldacquaintancebeforgot Andneverbroughttomind? Foroldlangsyne'. Finallytheybothgrewsilent,andinalittlewhiletherecameasnorefromMrs.KempherheadfellforwardtoherchestLizatumbledfromherchairontothebed,andsprawlingacrossitfellasleep. 'AlthoughIamdrunkandbad,beyoukind, Castaglanceatthisheartwhichisbewilderedanddistressed. OGod,takeawayfrommymindmycryandmycomplaint. Offerwine,andtakesorrowfrommyremembrance. Offerwine.'