"
"I knaw. I knaw. I wouldn' lat yo', Jim. I wouldn' lat yo'."
"I knaw there's t' baaby an' all. It's hard on yo', Essy. But--I dawn'
knaw--I ned bae crool to t' baaby, too."
Then she looked up at him, but with more incredulity than reproach.
"Yo' wudn'," she said. "Yo' cudn' bae crool t' lil Jimmy."
He scowled.
"Yo've called 'im thot, Essy?"
"An' why sudn' I call 'im? 'E's a right to thot naame, annyhow. Yo'
caann't taake thot awaay from 'im."
"I dawn' want t' taake it away from 'im. But I wish yo' 'adn'. I wish
you 'adn', Essy."
"Why 'alf t' lads in t' village is called Jimmy. Yo're called Jimmy
yourself, coom t' thot."
He considered it. "Well--it's nat as ef they didn' knaw--all of 'em."
"Oh--they knaws!"
"D'yo' mind them, Essy? They dawn't maake yo' feel baad about it, do
they?"
She shook her head and smiled her dreamy smile.
He rose and looked down at her with his grieved, resentful eyes.
"Yo' moosn' suppawse I dawn feel baad, Essy. I've laaid awaake manny a
night, thinkin' what I've doon t'yo'."
"What _'ave_ yo' doon, Jimmy? Yo' maade mae 'appy fer sex moonths.
An' there's t' baaby. I didn' want 'im before 'e coom--seemed like I'd
'ave t' 'ave 'im stead o' yo'. But yo' can goa right awaay, Jimmy, an'
I sudn' keer ef I navver saw yo' again, so long's I 'ad 'im."
"Is thot truth, Essy?"
"It's Gawd's truth."
He put out his hand and caressed the child's downy head as if it was
the head of some young animal.
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