Liza of Lambeth

ry; sometimes a light fog covered the river-banks, and made the lamps glow out dim and large; a light rain would be falling, which sent a chill into their very souls; foot passengers came al

ed herself close against Jim. Sometimes they would go into the third-class waiting-rooms at Waterloo or Charing Cross and sit there, but it was not like the park or the Embankment on summer nights; they had warmth, but the heat made their wet clothes steam and smell, and the gas flared in their eyes, and they hated the people perpetually coming in and out, opening t

was about half-past eleven, and the station was unusually quiet; a few passengers, in wraps and overcoats, were walking to and fro, waiting for the last train, and one or two porters were standing about yawning. L

ght,' she said at l

g of me altogether, an' you'll

e had often asked her to live with him

a room in a lodgin' 'ouse in 'Olloway, an

aht yer

e as well as I can 'ere. I'm abaht

t I can't le

an com

I shouldn't like 'er ter kn

r. Swop me bob, I wa

yer marrie

, she'll sign a piper ter give up all clime ter me, an' then we can get

hook h

gamy, an' the cop tikes yer, an' ye

s-well, there ain't no bloomin' doubt abaht it, she knows as you an'

on't d

rounds on me an' calls me all the nimes she can think of. I'd give 'er a good 'idin', but some'

sit it, then; ye

e along of me. I don't believe you l

him and put her a

ike yer better than anyone else in the wo

ter you. She mikes yer slave awy ter pay the

an' I don't like ter leave 'er on 'er own, now she's so old-an' she can't do much with the rheumat

or a while,

ld get on without the kids. If I could only tike

miled

oomin' 'ole, an' there ain't no

pressing her to him, kissed he

omethin' 'll 'appen soon, an' everythin' 'll come right i

t by different ways along the dreary, wet, d

struck her that she had not seen him for a long time; but she had been so full of her happiness that she had been unable to think of anyone but Jim. She wondered at his absence, since before wherever she had been there was he certain to be also. She passed him, b

, 'why don't ye

nd blushed m

yer was there

me,' she sai

nows of,' he an

ended yer, '

of,' he replied, l

r come my way

w as yer want

I likes you as

y people, Liza,'

red; she was afraid he knew now, and it was from hi

',' he

e thet without any meanin',

d fool.' He looked at her a little reproachfully, she

mean that he should condemn her for that. Thenceforward, when she ran against Tom, she cut him; he never tried to speak to her, but as she passed him, pretending to look in front of her, she could see that he always blushed, and she fancied his eyes were very sorrowful. Then several weeks went by, and as she began to feel more and more lonely in th

de her give up the factory; he was a young man with prin

afford ter keep 'er without 'er workin' in a factory-we

er look after soon, an' thet'll tike 'er all 'er time, an' there's no one as knows

r the bride was brimming over with song a

no mistikin' it. I don't care wot other people sy, but wot I says is, there's nothin' like marriage. Never a cross word passes his lips, an

o full of joy when next Liza met her, and one day h

za, looking at her. 'Wot 'av

bit of a toothache, an'-well, I'm rather a fool li

hen women in Vere Street weep. Liza went up into Sally's room for a few minutes on her way to the Westminster Bridge Road, wher

ho, S

on getting to the door she stood still, for she heard the sound of sobbing. She listened

's t

w Sally rapidly wipe her eyes and put her handkerchief away.

, Sal?' a

za should not see the tears in her eyes; but they were too strong for her, and, quickly taking out her handke

!' said the lady, snorti

asked Liza,

it if it ain't '

doin', then?' a

n doin'! Oh, the villin, 'e ought

'e was like t

knew it by now,' said Mrs. Cooper ind

er sobs; 'it's only because 'e's 'ad a little

l like thet-'usbinds is all alike; they're arright when they're sober-sometimes-but when they've got the liq

, 'it was all my fault. I sh

ust because Sally'd gone aht to 'ave a chat with Mrs. McLeod in the next 'ouse, when she come in 'e start

fust. If I 'adn't put my arm up, 'e'd 'ave got me on the 'ead, an' 'e might 'ave killed me. An' I says to 'im, "If you touch me again, I'll go ter the police-station, thet I will!" Well, that frightened 'im a bit, an' then didn't I let 'im 'ave it! "You call yerself a man," says I, "an' you ain't fit ter clean the drains ah

know 'e was like

ght at fust,

'ave come to this now, when they ain't been married three mont

t pathetically taking to herself all the blame of the dispute; and t

to be found. She waited for some time, and at

,' she said as s

'ave yer?' he answered

in a frightened way, for he had n

me witin' all night

d been drinking, a

Sally, an' 'er bloke 'ad been knockin'

'er damn well right too; an' there's ma

He looked at her, a

an' 'ave

y; I don't want a d

' he said

ve had quite e

. 'Don't come if yer don't want te

.' She caught h

t yer! Let me go!' He roughly pulled his arm away from her. As she tried to catch hold of

cried, 'yo

sobered

he took her in his arms. 'Liza, I ain't 'urt you, 'ave I?

rmingly on him. 'It wasn't the blow that '

min' row with the missus ter-night, an' then when I didn't find you 'ere, an' I kept witin' an' witin

can stand more than thet

, and on looking in the glass saw that it was black and blue and green. She bathed it, but it remained, and seemed to get more marked. She was terrified lest people should see it, and kept indoors all day; but next mor

with yer eye?' a

her hand up as if in ignoranc

ere standing by, and hea

got a black

't got no

ve; 'ow d'y

Liza. 'I didn't

nswer. 'One doesn't git a black ey

hest of drawers yesterday; I su

believe thet

y with 'is dukes, did you, Te

grow red to the

' she

mind; nobod

er with a scowl. Liza wished herself a hundred m

abaht?' ingenuously

s nerve deserted her; she could think of nothing to say, and a sob burst from her. To hide the tears which were coming from her eyes she turned away an