The Waste Land | Page 4

dirty ears.?And other withered stumps of time?Were told upon the walls; staring forms?Leaned out, leaning, hushing the room enclosed.?Footsteps shuffled on the stair.?Under the firelight, under the brush, her hair?Spread out in fiery points?Glowed into words, then would be savagely still. 110
"My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me.?"Speak to me. Why do you never speak. Speak.?"What are you thinking of? What thinking? What??"I never know what you are thinking. Think."
I think we are in rats' alley?Where the dead men lost their bones.
"What is that noise?"
The wind under the door.?"What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?"
Nothing again nothing. 120
"Do
"You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember?"Nothing?"
I remember?Those are pearls that were his eyes.?"Are you alive, or not? Is there nothing in your head?"
But O O O O that Shakespeherian Rag -?It's so elegant?So intelligent 130 "What shall I do now? What shall I do?"?I shall rush out as I am, and walk the street?"With my hair down, so. What shall we do to-morrow??"What shall we ever do?"
The hot water at ten.?And if it rains, a closed car at four.?And we shall play a game of chess,?Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.
When Lil's husband got demobbed, I said -?I didn't mince my words, I said to her myself, 140 HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME?Now Albert's coming back, make yourself a bit smart.?He'll want to know what you done with that money he gave you To get yourself some teeth. He did, I was there.?You have them all out, Lil, and get a nice set,?He said, I swear, I can't bear to look at you.?And no more can't I, I said, and think of poor Albert,?He's been in the army four years, he wants a good time,?And if you don't give it him, there's others will, I said.?Oh is there, she said. Something o' that, I said. 150 Then I'll know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look. HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME?If you don't like it you can get on with it, I said.?Others can pick and choose if you can't.?But if Albert makes off, it won't be for lack of telling.?You ought to be ashamed, I said, to look so antique.?(And her only thirty-one.)?I can't help it, she said, pulling a long face,?It's them pills I took, to bring it off, she said.?(She's had five already, and nearly died of young George.) 160 The chemist said it would be alright, but I've never been the same. You are a proper fool, I said.?Well, if Albert won't leave you alone, there it is, I said, What you get married for if you don't want children??HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME?Well, that Sunday Albert was home, they had a hot gammon,?And they asked me in to dinner, to get the beauty of it hot - HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME?HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME?Goonight Bill. Goonight Lou. Goonight May. Goonight. 170 Ta ta. Goonight. Goonight.?Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night.
III. THE FIRE SERMON
The river's tent is broken: the last fingers of leaf?Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind?Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.?Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.?The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,?Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends?Or other testimony of summer nights. The nymphs are departed. And their friends, the loitering heirs of city directors; 180 Departed, have left no addresses.
Line 161 ALRIGHT. This spelling occurs also in?the Hogarth Press edition - Editor.
By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept . . .?Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song,?Sweet Thames, run softly, for I speak not loud or long.?But at my back in a cold blast I hear?The rattle of the bones, and chuckle spread from ear to ear. A rat crept softly through the vegetation?Dragging its slimy belly on the bank?While I was fishing in the dull canal?On a winter evening round behind the gashouse 190 Musing upon the king my brother's wreck?And on the king my father's death before him.?White