Liza of Lambeth

ntidily straying over their foreheads, their back hair, carelessly tied in a loose knot, fell over their necks and threatened completely to come down. Liza had not had ti

even in her rags was virtuously tidy and patched up, while Sally had a grea

said Liza, when

mornin'!' she remarked, turning round a

irpy neither,' said

uch beer,' added Sally, as

o that they might not miss getting their tokens and thereby their day's pay; they turned into the street at the e

ead like a piece of lead with electric shocks going through it when sh

goin' to 'ave a glass o' bitte

ite, and in one draught finished their

s you up,

yer yet, Liza, 'ave I?

d'yer

'E spit it

me the day?' sai

t's

did

with some emphasis. 'I always t

id Liza,

tike Tom; 'e ain't a bad sor

I like; an' it ain't nob

get shirty over it; I

er say it

er'd gone aht with 'im yesterda

tike me; I di

't arsk my 'A

d yer did,'

mp, you 'ave!' finishe

ina, singing, joking, and finally, on the drive back, she felt the heavy form by her side, and the big, rough hand holding hers, while Tom's arm was round her waist. Tom! That was the first time he had entered her mind, and he sank into a shadow beside the other. Last of all she remembered the walk home from the pub, the good nights, and the rapid footsteps as Jim caught her up, and the kiss. She blushe

r, Liza?' asked one of th

rdly on her meditations being broken into

ght cold in the F

as I was comin' a

ared a

one, 'oo d'

did look washed aht. Wot was

thin' ter do wit

on't you

hattering in groups outside the factory gates for a while, made their way in dif

, seeing the advertisement of a play b

presented two rooms and a passage in between; in one room a dead man was lying on the floor, while two

'killed im,' sai

thet! an' the one ahtsi

ter tike me, I will. I should like ter

as not to meet him, and began walking the way she had come. Then thinking herself a fool for what she had done, she turned again and walked towards him. She wondered if she had seen her or noticed her movement, but when she looked down the street he was nowhere to b

Blakeston,' she said,

ld; an' I was witin' for yer ter

, w

thet other girl was lookin' at

er see

'ear yer say, you says: "I

' I shou

I'll ti

ou

why

wot would ye

ouldn'

neighbour

ldn't, no on

low voice so that p

e ahtside the the

o with you; you'r

ply? An' besides, my missus can't come if sh

r see it,' said L

hed her house

evenin' and tell me i

comin' aht

rt yer. I shal

ood your witing', '

an' I shall go to the theatre, any'ow. An' if you'll come, you jus

t,' said Li

shall exp

.' And with that she walked into the

g it alone, so pouring out a cup of tea and putting a little condensed milk into it, she cut a huge piece of bread-and-butter, and

one to your 'ead?' asked Liza, not

night,' answered the w

y! Wot did yer

e coal-scuttle and

, I n

my old man. But one doesn't like them things

a. 'I didn't know yer

nley, apologetically. 'But, Lor' bless yer, when 'e's 'ad a d

en married long n

ir frightened my old man, an' I says ter 'im, "I'll charge yer," an' although I was bleedin' like a bloomin' pig I shook my fist at 'im, an' I says, "I'll charge ye-see if I don't!" An' 'e says, "Na," says 'e, "don't do thet, for God's sike, Kitie, I'l

r do, then?

okin' at me straight in the eyeball. "Missus," says 'e, "'ave you been drinkin'?" "Drinkin'?" says I; "no! I've 'ad a little drop, but as for drinkin'! Mind," says I, "I don't say I'm a teetotaller-I'm not, I 'ave my glass of beer, and I like it. I couldn't do withaht it

n of her conversation and

'ad seen better days. 'E was a gentleman!' She mout

ood circumstances in 'is time; an' 'e was a man of

za's mother appea

rs. Stanley,' sh

Kemp.' replied that la

'ead?' asked Liza's

ruel. I've hardly known

e ashimed of 'imself for

e of me I can stand up for myself an' give as good as I tike; an' many's the time I give my fust husband a black eye. But the language 'e used, an' the things 'e called me! It made me blush to the roots of my 'air; I'm not used

re,' said Mrs. Kemp, aphoristically. 'But

en troublin' yer litel

th embrocation every night,

f nothing, staring vacantly in front of her, enjoying the cool and quiet of the evening. But Liza could not be left alone long, several boys came along with a

them to Liza, 'come an' have

b, I'm

me

ell you

erday, an' she ain't got o

h!' replied Liza to him, and t

alone, w

ight, thet's flat,' commente

with mock gravity. 'It's a bad 'abit ter git into,' an

d vexed that they should disturb her quietness, so she let them talk. They saw she was not to be drawn, and leaving her, set to their game. She watched

tike me ter the ply,' she said

g to the theatre with him, but she didn't mind talking to him; she rather enjoyed being asked to do a thing and

the boys who was fielding close beside h

, he works at the

self in the evening;

n' go into the "Red Lion". I s

ld him she was going to stay indoors, but h

come,' she said to he

heard her mother's

'm comin','

or you this last 'a

yer call?'

this last I dunno 'ow long; it'

er 'ea

did yer? Yer don't mind if I die

iment on her hand, began to rub it into Mrs. Kemp's rheumatic joints,

, Liza, you'll rub

as gently as she cou

self trouble-I know yer. When I was young girls didn't mind a little bit o

and Liza went to bed