large/11252/lizaoflambeth_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/lizaoflambeth_01_maugham_64kb_61
large/11252/lizaoflambeth_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/lizaoflambeth_01_maugham_64kb
English
11252
'Oh, I reckon I've got another two months ter go yet,' answered Polly. 'Well,' said a third. 'I wouldn't 'ave thought you'd go so long by the look of yer!' 'I 'ope you'll have it easier this time, my dear,' said a very stout old person, a woman of great importance. 'She said she wasn't goin' to 'ave no more, when the last one come.' This remark came from Polly's husband. 'Ah,' said the stout old lady, who was in the business, and boasted vast experience. 'That's wot they all says; but, Lor' bless yer, they don't mean it.' OH I RECKON I'VE GOT ANOTHER TWO MONTHS TO GO YET ANSWERED POLLY WELL SAID A THIRD I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT YOU'D GO SO LONG BY THE LOOK OF YE I HOPE YOU'LL HAVE IT EASIER THIS TOM MY DEAR SAID A VERY STOUT OLD PERSON A WOMAN OF GREAT IMPORTANCE SHE SAID SHE WASN'T GOING TO HAVE NO MORE WHEN THE LAST ONE GONE THIS REMARK CAME FROM POLLY'S HUSBAND AH SAID THE STOUT OLD LADY WHO WAS IN THE BUSINESS AND MOST ADVANCED EXPERIENCE THAT'S WHAT HOOD SAYS BUT LORD BLESS YOU I DON'T MEAN IT
ment, round the doors, and about their mothers' skirts. The grown-ups were gathered round the open doors; there were usually two women squatting on the doorstep, and two or three more seated on either side on chairs; they were invariably nursing babies, and most of them showed clear signs that the present object of the maternal care would be soon ousted by a new arrival. Men were less numerous but such as there were leant against the walls, smoking, or sat on the sills of the ground-floor windows. It was the dead season in Vere Street as much as in Belgravia, and really if it had not been for babies just come or just about to come, and an opportune murder in a neighbouring doss-house, there would have been nothing whatever to talk about. As it was, the little groups talked quietly, discussing the atrocity or the merits of the local midwives, comparing the circumstances of their various confinements. 'You'll be 'avin' your little trouble soon, eh, Polly?' asked one good lady of another. D ABOUT EVERYWHERE ON THE PAVEMENT ROUND THE DOORS AND ABOUT THEIR MOTHER'S SKIRTS THE GROWN UPS WERE GATHERED ROUND THE OPEN DOORS THERE WERE USUALLY TWO WOMEN SQUATTING ON THE DOORSTEP AND TWO OR THREE MORE SEATED ON EITHER SIDE ON CHAIRS THEY WERE INVARIABLY NURSING BABIES AND MOST OF THEM SHOWED CLEAR SIGNS THAT THE PRESENT OBJECT OF THE MATERNAL CARE WOULD SOON BE OUSTED BY A NEW ARRIVAL MEN WERE LESS NUMEROUS BUT SUCH AS THERE WERE LEANT AGAINST THE WALLS SMOKING OR SAT ON THE SILLS OF THE GROUND FLOOR WINDOWS IT WAS THE DEAD SEASON IN BEER STREET AS MUCH AS IN BELGRAVIA AND REALLY IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR BABIES JUST COME OR JUST ABOUT TO COME AND AN OPPORTUNE MURDER IN A NEIGHBOURING DOS HOUSE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING WHATEVER TO TALK ABOUT AS IT WAS LITTLE GROUPS TALKED QUIETLY DISCUSSING THE ATROCITY OR THE MERITS OF THE LOCAL MIDWIVES COMPARING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR VARIOUS CONFINEMENTS YOU'LL BE HAVING YOUR LITTLE TROUBLE SOON EH POLLY ASKED ONE GOOD LADY OF ANOTHER
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