Madison
Spar’ me an’ he’p me. He tol’ me ef I draw de money he’d take me into business wif him an’ gimme de guitar besides.
Lucy
Did you spar’ me? Fifty dollahs! You said fifty, didn’ you? How could you do hit? More’n six months’ ha’d slavin’. Six months mo’ befo’ I can resto’ it back. I could a bought de house tomorrer mo’nin’ an’ now hit’s six months off to pay in dat fifty. It was fifty, didn’ you say? Maybe ’twuzn’ dat much. Tell me right. I’ll fin’ it out tomorrer.
Madison
Dis yere’ll kill me ef I can’t think.
Lucy
How much you draw? Tell me right. Look at me. Were hit fifty? [She holds his eye.] Less? Mo’? How much? [She continues to hold his lustreless eyes, reading them.] A hunde’d? Two hunde’d? Eight hunde’d? [A pause ensues as she reads the truth in his face.] All of hit! [She sinks in a chair.] Twelve yeahs’ labour sence I married you an’ termorrer I wuz goin’ to mek de payment an’ we’d a bin undeh owah own roof. I’m done. I could a paid off pa’t, mebbe fifty, but I won’ las’ twelve yeahs mo’ at de same thing. But I thank Thee, Lawd, dat it wuz stole f’um us all ef hit had to be stole.
Madison