MRS. BULGIN. [Shakes her head, then, as though by afterthought.]
Would if he could, I s'pose.
MRS. YEO. [Sardonically.] What! 'Ave n't 'e got no shares in the
Company?
MRS. ROUS. [Rising with tremulous cheerfulness.] Well, good-bye,
Annie Roberts, I'm going along home.
MRS. ROBERTS. Stay an' have a cup of tea, Mrs. Rous?
MRS. ROUS. [With the faintest smile.] Roberts 'll want 'is tea when he comes in. I'll just go an' get to bed; it's warmer there than anywhere.
[She moves very shakily towards the door.]
MRS. YEO. [Rising and giving her an arm.] Come on, Mother, take my arm; we're all going' the same way.
MRS. ROUS. [Taking the arm.]Thank you, my dearies!
[THEY go out, followed by MRS. BULGIN.]
MADGE. [Moving for the first time.] There, Annie, you see that! I told George Rous, "Don't think to have my company till you've made an end of all this trouble. You ought to be ashamed," I said, "with your own mother looking like a ghost, and not a stick to put on the fire. So long as you're able to fill your pipes, you'll let us starve." "I 'll take my oath, Madge," he said, "I 've not had smoke nor drink these three weeks!" "Well, then, why do you go on with it?" "I can't go back on Roberts!" . . . That's it! Roberts, always Roberts! They'd all drop it but for him. When he talks it's the devil that comes into them.