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'ddo