e.
'Say,Tom,'ooarethemnewfolkas'ascomeintothestreet?It'sabigchapwithabrownbeard.'
'D'youmeantheblokeaskissedyerthisafternoon?'
Lizablushedagain.
'Well,whyshouldn't'ekissme?'shesaid,withsomeinconsequence.
'Ineversaidas'ow'eshouldn'tIonlyarstyerifitwasthesime.'
'Yea,thet's'ooImean.'
''IsnimeisBlakeston—JimBlakeston.I'veonlyspoketo'imoncehe'stookthetwotoproomsatNo.19'ouse.'
'Wot's'ewanttwotoproomsfor?'
''Im?Oh,'e'sgotabigfamily—fivekids.Ain'tyerseen'iswifeabahtthestreet?She'sabig,fatwoman,asdoes'er'airfunny.'
'Ididn'tknow'e'adawife.'
TherewasanothersilenceLizasatthinking,andTomstoodatthewindow,lookingather.
'Won'tyercomeahtwithme,Liza?'heasked,atlast.
'Na,Tom,'shesaid,alittlemoregently,'it'stoolite.'
'Liza,'hesaid,blushingtotherootsofhishair.
'Well?'
'Liza'—hecouldn'tgoon,andstutteredinhisshyness—'Liza,I—I—Ilovesyer,Liza.'
'Garnawy!'
Hewasquitebravenow,andtookholdofherhand.
'Yerknow,Liza,I'mearnin'twenty-threeshillin'sattheworksnow,an'I'vegotsomefurnitureasmotherleftmewhenshewastook.'
Thegirlsaidnothing.
'Liza,willyou'aveme?I'llmakeyeragood'usband,Liza,swopmebob,Iwillan'yerknowI'mnotadrinkin'sort.Liza,willyermarryme?'
'Na,Tom,'sheansweredquietly.
'Oh,Liza,won'tyou'aveme?'
'Na,Tom,Ican't.'
'Whynot?You'vecomeahtwalkin'withmeeversinceWhitsun.'
'Ah,thingsisdifferentnow.'
'You'renotwalkin'ahtwithanybodyelse,areyou,Liza?'heaskedquickly.
'Na,notthat.'
'Well,whywon'tyer,Liza?OhLiza,Idoloveyer,I'veneverlovedanybodyasIloveyou!'
'Oh,Ican't,Tom!'
'Thereain'tnooneelse?'
'Na.'
'Thenwhynot?'
'I'mverysorry,Tom,butIdon'tloveyersoastermarryyer.'
'Oh,Liza!'
Shecouldnotseethelookuponhisface,butsheheardtheagonyinhisvoiceand,movedwithsuddenpity,shebentout,threwherarmsroundhisneck,andkissedhimonbothcheeks.
'Nevermindoldchap!'shesaid.'I'mnotworthtroublin'abaht.'
Andquicklydrawingback,sheslammedthewindowto,andmovedintothefurtherpartoftheroom.