"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.
"I wish I could do more fer 'im, Essy. I will, maaybe, soom daay."
"I wouldn' lat yo'. I wouldn' tooch yo're mooney now ef I could goa
out t' wark an' look affter 'im too. I wouldn' tooch a panny of it, I
wouldn'."
"Dawn' yo' saay thot, Essy. Yo' dawn' want to spite mae, do yo'?"
"I didn' saay it t' spite yo', Jimmy. I said it saw's yo' sudn' feel
saw baad."
He smiled mournfully.
"Poor Essy," he said.
She gave him a queer look. "Yo' needn' pity _mae,_" she said.
* * * * *
He went away considerably relieved in his mind, but still suffering
that sullen uneasiness in his soul.