Liza of Lambeth

Excerpt: ...'Leave go my 'and,' she said. He made no movement, but looked into her eyes steadily, so that it made her uneasy. She repented having come out with him. 'Leave go my 'and.' And she beat down on his with her closed fist. 'Liza!' he said, at last. 'Well, wot is it?' she answered, still thumping down on his hand with her fist. 'Liza,' he said a whisper, 'will yer?' 'Will I wot?' she said, looking down. 'You know, Liza. Sy, will yer?' 'Na,' she said. He bent over her and repeated- 'Will yer?' She did not speak, but kept beating down on his hand. 'Liza,' he said again, his voice growing hoarse and thick-'Liza, will yer?' She still kept silence, looking away and continually bringing down her fist. He looked at her a moment, and she, ceasing to thump his hand, looked up at him with 66 half-opened mouth. Suddenly he shook himself, and closing his fist gave her a violent, swinging blow in the belly. 'Come on,' he said. And together they slid down into the darkness of the passage. 67 8 Mrs. Kemp was in the habit of slumbering somewhat heavily on Sunday mornings, or Liza would not have been allowed to go on sleeping as she did. When she woke, she rubbed her eyes to gather her senses together and gradually she remembered having gone to the theatre on the previous evening; then suddenly everything came back to her. She stretched out her legs and gave a long sigh of delight. Her heart was full; she thought of Jim, and the delicious sensation of love came over her. Closing her eyes, she imagined his warm kisses, and she lifted up her arms as if to put them round his neck and draw him down to her; she almost felt the rough beard on her face, and the strong heavy arms round her body. She smiled to herself and took a long breath; then, slipping back the sleeves of her nightdress, she looked at her own thin arms, just two pieces of bone with not a muscle on them, but very white and showing distinctly the interlacement of blue veins: she did not notice...