Granny
No diffunce. I bless de man an’ wish ’im well, he’s su’ved his puhpose, but he ain’ none er ouah blood. De boy babe’s de chief un. [Sapphie enters with the baby.] Give ’im heah, be swif’.
[Sapphie hesitatingly lays the child in Granny’s outstretched arms. As she does so a strange reaction, like an electrical shock, seems to overtake the old woman. She holds out the child as though she would give it back. After a moment, however, she presses it to her breast, rocking back and forth and crooning to it.]
Babe, man babe-um, er noo man, er puore-blood man raise’ up atter all dem gals. Sam kin res’ now. ’Caze w’y— [She begins to chant.] ’caze er noo man bin raise up an’ he shill lay hol’ er de stahs an’ th’ow um down fer vingince. He shill be er ’stroyin’ fieh er heavum tuh roll ergin de hell fieh w’ut dey lit fer Sam an’ quinch hit out fuheveh. De wrath er Gawd shill be wif ’im an’ de w’ite blood shill puhvail no more ergin ’im. De sun an’ moon shill rise no mo’ on my house an’ fin’ on’y gals, ’caze we got er puore-blood man fer to gyard an’ carry us on.
[From time to time during her words she has paused and bent intently over the baby, striving to see it.]
An’ my King’ll not keep de cuss on me now an’ leave me go down to de grave wifouten sight er you, my babe-um. Dese eyes shill yit behole. [She rises with the child in her arms.] Go on out er heah, Puhl an’ Sapphie, lemme be alone now wif my babe. [She waves them out imperiously.]
Pearl
Whuffo’?
Granny