“Be quiet, Miss Susan: youll be better presently. Whats the use of talking-about the doctor? He says youll not be able to drink for days, and that you will get your health back in consequence. You are doing yourself no good by screeching like that, and you are ruining me and my house.”
“Your house is all you care about. Curse you! I hope you may die deserted yourself. Dont go away. Dear Aunt Sally, you wont leave me here alone, will you? If you do, I’ll scream like a hundred devils.”
“I dont know what to do with you,” said Mrs. Myers, crying. “Youll drive me as mad as yourself. Why did I ever let you into this house?”
“Oh, bother! Are you beginning to howl now? Have you any sardines, or anything spicy? I think I could eat some salted duck. No, I couldnt, though. Go for the doctor. There must be something that will do me good. What use is he if he can’t set me right? All I want is something that will make me able to drink a tumbler of brandy.”
“The Lord help you! Praise goodness! here’s Mrs. Forster coming up. Whatll she think of you if you keep moaning like that? Mrs. Forster: will you step in here and try to quiet her a bit? She’s clean mad.”
“Come here,” cried Susanna, as Marian entered. “Come and sit beside me. You may get out, you old cat: I dont want you any longer.”
“Hush, pray,” said Marian, putting her bonnet aside and sitting down by the sofa. “What is the matter?”
“The same as last night, only a great deal worse,” said Susanna, shutting her eyes and turning her head aside. “It’s all up with me this time, Mrs. Ned. I’m dying, not of drink, but of the want of it. Is that fiend of a woman gone?”
“Yes. You ought not to wound her as you did just now. She has been very kind to you.”
“I dont care. Oh, dear me, I wonder how long this is going to last?”