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Margery laughed so much that tears fell into her puddings. Her eyes were beady, black and sharp as needles. There were things she had suspected for a long time. She bided her time, waiting; it was good fun waiting. Is it? No, it ain’t. By God, it is! By God, I’m sure it is!
This is fu
Is it? No, it ain’t. But it is Of course it is!
Oh. Mistress Carolan, Mistress Carolan! Here is a shock for you!
Tell her today No, wait a little. Store your secret. Have fun with it, play with it. How to begin? Not an expression of her face must be lost, not an inflexion of her voice.
She came into the kitchen one late afternoon; she was wearing the green dress the mistress had given her and allowed her to alter. It was tight across her breasts and it made her skin glow and her hair, glossy from the brush, hung about her face. She walked like a lady… and her a convict, a thief I But Margery always softened when she was there, liked to watch her eyelashes sweep up and down, liked to stroke the soft skin of her arms: her hands were whitening, growing soft, and she, unbelievable insolent, used the mistress’s polish on her nails. When she was there, Margery put off telling; there were times when she felt she could not bear to hurt her, when she liked to listen to her all but giving orders, liked to watch the proud tilt of her head.
She said now: “Well ducky, have a cup of tea, will you. love? I’ll tell Poll to make it.”
“I ca
“I have to be upstairs.”
The airs! The graces! Too good to drink a cup of tea at Margery’s table, Margery who had been good to her when she had come from the ship a poor, lousy, shivering creature!
“A word in your ear,” said Margery, a dull flush rising to her cheeks.
“I have not very much time to spare,” she said.
You’ll have time to spare for this, me lady! Margery looked through the window to where Esther and Poll were pumping water in the yard:
“It’s what the master will say that worries me. I always thought Jin would be the one. I didn’t think it would be her.”
“What do you mean?”
“What ain’t you noticed?”
“Noticed what?”
“What’s happened to her!” She nodded through the window at the two girls at the pump.
“Poll?”
“The other one.”
“Why,” said Carolan, ‘what has happened?”
“Can’t you see? You’ve got eyes in your head, ain’t you? Oh, I know what it is, them eyes is too busy upstairs to notice what’s going on down here among us humble folk.”
“Esther…”
“She fainted clean away yesterday. Where’s your eyes, girl? But, deary me, I reckon a lady wouldn’t be noticing such things.”
“Esther…” said Carolan again. ‘… has been up to what ain’t respectable. That’s about the long and the short of it.”
Carolan turned on her.
“You’re a coarse old woman! Esther fainted then she is ill. How can anyone endure this sort of life …?”
“Well, there is them that gets themselves a place upstairs, but it ain’t so good for us ordinary folks, that I will admit. But if ever I see a girl in trouble, I see one now.”
“But Esther… Esther… it isn’t possible! She…”
“Ah! It’s the quiet ones what go wrong: I’ve seen it before. One little slip and down they go, sliding down to perdition. Whereas our kind … you and me …” She nudged Carolan, winking one eye.
“I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true as I stand here. I got her round all right. I had a good look at her. I wasn’t born yesterday. I know a pregnant girl when I see one, and I saw one yesterday. I sent the others out, then I made her tell me. All she could say was that she loved him and there didn’t seem nothing wrong in it at the time. That’s what they all say”?
“Marcus!” whispered Carolan.
That’s about the ticket. Been hanging round here a lot, he has. He’s artful as a monkey, he is. It wouldn’t be easy for a girl like her to say no to him. You see, he knows just how to get round her, him … going all religious-like just to make her feel everything’s all right, and talking about love being beautiful and sacred. I reckon; and then she gives way… that’s how trouble starts.”
Margery watched her. She had to admire her. Her face was blank and white, so that you wouldn’t know what was going on behind her eyes. They were hard and bright like precious stones. And how they glittered.
That’s got you, my fine lady! That’s pricked your pride. Thought he was all for you, didn’t you? Thought he couldn’t look at anyone else. You’ve got a lot to learn, my pretty. Men is men all the world over.
Carolan went past Margery right out into the yard. She went to Esther, and the way she dragged her from the pump showed what she was feeling. She could have murdered the girl, it was clear. She was wishing she had never met her.
That would teach her to give herself airs. Oh, but so lovely she was, lovelier in her rage than she was when she was soft. And just because she held her head so high, it made you want to cry for her, made your inside go all fu
That evening, that was the begi
She had made Esther drink gin that night, a lot of it. It was easy enough to keep filling her glass. And he had drunk too, and got reckless, and that was the begi