dof'imselffortreatin'yerlikethet.'
'Oh,itwasn't'isblowsImindedsomuch,Mrs.Kemp,'repliedMrs.Stanley,'an'don'tyouthinkit.Itwaswot'esaidterme.Icanstandablowaswellasanywoman.Idon'tmindthet,an'when'edon'ttikeameanadvantageofmeIcanstandupformyselfan'giveasgoodasItikean'many'sthetimeIgivemyfusthusbandablackeye.Butthelanguage'eused,an'thethings'ecalledme!Itmademeblushtotherootsofmy'airI'mnotusedterbein'spokenterlikethet.Iwasingoodcircumstanceswhenmyfust'usbandwasalive,'eearnedbetweentwoan'threepoundaweek,'edid.AsIsaidto'imthismornin',"'Owagentlemancanusesichlanguage,Idunno."'
''Usbandsiscautions,'owevergoodtheyare,'saidMrs.Kemp,aphoristically.'ButImustn'tstayaht'ereinthenightair.'
''Asyerrheumatismbeentroublin'yerlitely?'askedMrs.Stanley.
'Oh,cruel.Lizarubsmewithembrocationeverynight,butittormentsmecruel.'
Mrs.Kempthenwentintothehouse,andLizaremainedtalkingtoMrs.Stanley,she,too,hadtogoin,andLizawasleftalone.Somewhileshespentthinkingofnothing,staringvacantlyinfrontofher,enjoyingthecoolandquietoftheevening.ButLizacouldnotbeleftalonelong,severalboyscamealongwithabatandaball,andfixedupontheroadjustinfrontofherfortheirpitch.Takingofftheircoatstheypiledthemupatthetwoends,andwerereadytobegin.
'Isay,oldgal,'saidoneofthemtoLiza,'comean'haveagimeofcricket,willyer?'
'Na,Bob,I'mtired.'
'Comeon!'
'Na,ItellyouIwon't.'
'Shewasontheboozeyesterday,an'sheain'tgotoverit,'criedanotherboy.
'I'llswipeyeroverthesnitch!'repliedLizatohim,andthenonbeingaskedagain,said:
'Leavemealone,won'tyer?'
'Liza'sgottheneedleter-night,thet'sflat,'commentedathirdmemberoftheteam.
'Iwouldn'tdrinkifIwasyou,Liza,'addedanother,withmockgravity.'It'sabad'abittergitinto,'andhebeganrollingandswayingaboutlikeadrunkenman.
IfLizahadbeen'inform'shewouldhavegonestraightawayandgiventhewholelotofthemasampleofherstrengthbutshewasonlyratherboredandvexedthattheyshoulddisturbherquietness