Liza of Lambeth | Page 8

future; the children hung on to her
skirts and asked her to play with them, and she would hold one end of
the rope while tiny little ragged girls skipped, invariably entangling
themselves after two jumps.

She had nearly reached home, when she heard a voice cry:
'Mornin'!'
She looked round and recognized the man whom Tom had told her was
called Jim Blakeston. He was sitting on a stool at the door of one of the
houses, playing with two young children, to whom he was giving rides
on his knee. She remembered his heavy brown beard from the day
before, and she had also an impression of great size; she noticed this
morning that he was, in fact, a big man, tall and broad, and she saw
besides that he had large, masculine features and pleasant brown eyes.
She supposed him to be about forty.
'Mornin'!' he said again, as she stopped and looked at him.
'Well, yer needn't look as if I was goin' ter eat yer up, 'cause I ain't,' he
said.
''Oo are you? I'm not afeard of yer.'
'Wot are yer so bloomin' red abaht?' he asked pointedly.
'Well, I'm 'ot.'
'You ain't shirty 'cause I kissed yer last night?'
'I'm not shirty; but it was pretty cool, considerin' like as I didn't know
yer.'
'Well, you run into my arms.'
'Thet I didn't; you run aht and caught me.'
'An' kissed yer before you could say "Jack Robinson".' He laughed at
the thought. 'Well, Liza,' he went on, 'seein' as 'ow I kissed yer against
yer will, the best thing you can do ter make it up is to kiss me not
against yer will.'
'Me?' said Liza, looking at him, open-mouthed. 'Well you are a pill!'

The children began to clamour for the riding, which had been
discontinued on Liza's approach.
'Are them your kids?' she asked.
'Yus; them's two on 'em.'
''Ow many 'ave yer got?'
'Five; the eldest gal's fifteen, and the next one 'oo's a boy's twelve, and
then there are these two and baby.'
'Well, you've got enough for your money.'
'Too many for me--and more comin'.'
'Ah well,' said Liza, laughing, 'thet's your fault, ain't it?'
Then she bade him good morning, and strolled off.
He watched her as she went, and saw half a dozen little boys surround
her and beg her to join them in their game of cricket. They caught hold
of her arms and skirts, and pulled her to their pitch.
'No, I can't,' she said trying to disengage herself. 'I've got the dinner ter
cook.'
'Dinner ter cook?' shouted one small boy. 'Why, they always cooks the
cats' meat at the shop.'
'You little so-and-so!' said Liza, somewhat inelegantly, making a dash
at him.
He dodged her and gave a whoop; then turning he caught her round the
legs, and another boy catching hold of her round the neck they dragged
her down, and all three struggled on the ground, rolling over and over;
the other boys threw themselves on the top, so that there was a great
heap of legs and arms and heads waving and bobbing up and down.

Liza extricated herself with some difficulty, and taking off her hat she
began cuffing the boys with it, using all the time the most lively
expressions. Then, having cleared the field, she retired victorious into
her own house and began cooking the dinner.

4
Bank Holiday was a beautiful day: the cloudless sky threatened a
stifling heat for noontide, but early in the morning, when Liza got out
of bed and threw open the window, it was fresh and cool. She dressed
herself, wondering how she should spend her day; she thought of Sally
going off to Chingford with her lover, and of herself remaining alone in
the dull street with half the people away. She almost wished it were an
ordinary work-day, and that there were no such things as bank holidays.
And it seemed to be a little like two Sundays running, but with the
second rather worse than the first. Her mother was still sleeping, and
she was in no great hurry about getting the breakfast, but stood quietly
looking out of the window at the house opposite.
In a little while she saw Sally coming along. She was arrayed in purple
and fine linen--a very smart red dress, trimmed with velveteen, and a
tremendous hat covered with feathers. She had reaped the benefit of
keeping her hair in curl-papers since Saturday, and her sandy fringe
stretched from ear to ear. She was in enormous spirits.
''Ulloa, Liza!' she called as soon as she saw her at the window.
Liza looked at her a little enviously.
''Ulloa!' she answered quietly.
'I'm just goin' to the "Red Lion" to meet 'Arry.'