“Well, he doan’t have to have his inside tied up wud a truss lik a parcel of hay, caase it falls out.”
“You hoald your rude tongue. Wot right have you to know aught of Ern Honey’s inside? And better a inside lik a parcel of hay than a heart lik a barnyard stone. He’s a hard-hearted man, your sojer—cares for naun saave a pore heathen dog wot he brings spannelling into the kitchen.”
“He cares for me.”
“It doan’t sim lik it wud his ‘Eh, lass?—eh, lass?’ whensumdever you spik. Reckon you maake yourself cheap as rotten straw when you git so stuck on him.”
“Who said I wur stuck on him?—he aun’t the fust I’ve kept company with.”
“No, he aun’t. You’re parish talk wud your goings on. You’ll die an oald maid in the wark’us, and bring us to shaum—and Harry ull bring us to auction, and Tom ull be killed by a German, and bring us to death in sorrow. All my children have turned agaunst me now I’m old,” and Mrs. Beatup began to cry into her apron.
Ivy’s big arms were round her at once....
3
Relations between Ivy and Nell had always been a little uneasy. Ivy was tolerant and good-humoured, but could not always hide the contempt which she felt for Nell’s refinements, while Nell, though she did not despise Ivy, hated her coarseness—particularly since she could never see it through her own eyes alone, but through others to which it must appear even grosser than to herself.