Krindlesyke Part 22

(_She sways forward, but JUDITH catches her in her arms._)

Where am I? Judith, is that you?

How did I come here, honey? But, now I mind-- I fell ... He must have hidden in the heather To trip me up ... He kicked me, as I lay-- The harrygad!

JUDITH: Jim!

BELL: Nay! What am I saying?

I stumbled, Judith: you must stick to that, Whatever they may say ... I stumbled, Judith.

Think what would happen if they strung Jim up; Should I ... you can't hang any man alone ...

Think what would happen should I ... Don't you see, We cannot let them string up Michael's uncle?

Respectable ... it wouldn't be respectable ...

And I ... I s.l.u.tted, fifteen ... I'd an inkling There must be blood, somewhere ... I thought I smelt it ...

And it tastes salt on the lips ... It's choking me ...

It's fire and salt and candle-light for me This time, and Whinny Muir and Brig-o'-Dread ...

I'm done for, Judith ... It's all up with me ...

It's been a fine ploy, while it lasted ...

JUDITH: Come ...

BELL: Life with a smack in it: death with a tang ...

JUDITH: I'll help you into bed.

(_BELL HAGGARD gazes about her in a dazed fas.h.i.+on, as JUDITH raises her and supports her across the floor towards the inner room._)

BELL: Bed, did you say?

Bed, it's not bedtime, is it? To bed, to bed, Says Sleepyhead: tarry awhile, says Slow: Put on the pot, says Greedygut ... I swore I'd not lie down ... You cannot dodge your luck: It had to be ... And I must dree my weird.

When first I came to Krindlesyke, I felt These walls ... these walls ... They're closing on me now!

Let's sup before we go!

(_They pa.s.s into the other room, but BELL HAGGARD's voice still sounds through the open door._)

BELL: Nay! not that bed-- Eliza's bed! The old witch lay in wait For me ... and now she has me! Well, what odds?

Jim called me witch: and the old spaewife and I Should be the doose bedfellows, after all.

Early to bed and early to rise ... I've never Turned in, while I could wink an eye, before: I've always sat late ... And I'd sit it out Now ... But I'm dizzy ... And that old witch, Eliza-- I little guessed she'd play this cantrip on me: But what a jest--Jerusalem, what a jest!

She must be chuckling, thinking how she's done me: And I could laugh, if it wasn't for the pain ...

It doesn't do to rattle broken ribs-- But I could die of laughing, split my sides, If they weren't split already. Yet my clapper Keeps wagging: and I'm my own pa.s.sing-bell-- They knew, who named me ... Talking to gain time ...

It's running out so quick ... And mum's the word: I mustn't rouse her ... She sleeps couthily, Free of the coil of c.u.mber and trouble ... I never Looked on a lonelier face ... The flames ... the flames ...

They're roaring to the stars ... roaring ... roaring ...

The heather's all turned gold ... and golden showers-- Izles and flying embers and falling stars ...

Great flakes of fire ... They've set the world alow ...

It's all about me ... blood-red in my eyes ...

I'm burning ... What have I to do with worms!

Burning ... burning ... burning ...

(_Her voice sinks to a low moaning, which goes on for some time, then stops abruptly. After a while, JUDITH comes into the living-room, fills a basin of water from a bucket, and carries it into the other room. She returns with BELL's orange-coloured kerchief, which she throws on the fire, where it burns to a grey wisp. She then takes a nightdress and a white mutch from a drawer in the dresser, and carries them into the other room, where she stays for some time. The baby in the cradle wakens, and begins to whimper till JUDITH comes out, shutting the door behind her, and takes it in her arms._)

JUDITH: Whisht, whisht, my canny hinny, my bonnie boy!

Your wee warm body's good to cuddle after ...

Whisht, whisht! (_Gazing in the fire._) First, Phbe--and then, Bell ... Oh, Jim!

_Steps are heard on the threshold, and MICHAEL and RUTH enter, carrying their sleeping sons, NICHOLAS, aged five, and RALPH, aged three. They put down the children on the settle by the hearth, where they sit, dazed and silent, sleepily rubbing their eyes._

RUTH: Well, I'm not sorry to be home again: My arms are fairly broken.

MICHAEL: Ay: they're heavy.

The hoggerel you lift up turns a sheep Before you set it down again. Well, Judith, You've had a quiet day of it, I warrant?

JUDITH (_in a low voice_): Michael, your mother's here.

MICHAEL: My mother here?

RUTH: I always fancied she'd turn up again, In spite of all her raivelling--Michael, you mind, About the mutch with frills, and all thon havers?

But where we are to put her I can't think: There's not a bed for her.

JUDITH: She's on my bed.

RUTH: Your bed? But you ...

JUDITH: She's welcome to my bed, As long as she has need. She'll not lie long, Before they lift her.

MICHAEL: Judith!

RUTH: She's not dead?

JUDITH: Ay, son: she breathed her last an hour ago.

RUTH: So, after all, the poor old soul crept back To Krindlesyke to die.

(_MICHAEL BARRASFORD, without a word, moves towards the inner room in a dazed manner, lifts the latch, and goes in. After a moment's hesitation, RUTH follows him, closing the door behind her. The boys, who have been sitting staring at the fire, drowsily and unheeding, rouse themselves gradually, stretching and yawning._)

NICHOLAS: Grannie, we saw the circus: And Ralph still says he wants to be a herd, Like dad: but I can't bide the silly baas.

When I'm a man I'll be a circus-rider, And gallop, gallop! I'm clean daft on horses.

(_An owl hoots piercingly without._)

RALPH: Grannie, what's that?

JUDITH: Only an owl, son.

NICHOLAS: Bo!

Fearent of hoolets!

RALPH: I thought it was a bo-lo.

NICHOLAS: Bo-los or horneys or wirrakows can't scare me: And I like to hear the jinneyhoolets scritching: It gives me such a queer, cold, creepy feeling.

I like to feel the s.h.i.+vers in my hair.

When I'm a man I'll ride the fells by moonlight, Like the mosstroopers, when the owls are skirling.