I will tell your friend below to
come for me or send whenever you need assistance.' The woman clutched
at the money with greed, and I left the room, signalling to Sinfi
(who stood on the landing, pale and deeply moved) to follow me
downstairs. When we reached the wretched room on the ground-floor we
found the girl hanging some wet rags on lines that were stretched
from wall to wall.
'What is your name?' I said.
'Polly Unwin,' replied she, turning round with a piece of damp linen
in her hand.
'And what are you?'
'What am I?'
'I mean what do you do for a living?'
'What do I do for a living?' she said. 'All kinds of things--help the
men at the barrows in the New Cut sell flowers, do anything that
comes in my way.'
'Never mind what she does for a livin', brother,' said Sinfi; 'give
her a gold balanser or two, and tell her to see arter the woman.'
'Here is some money,' I said to the girl. 'See that Mrs. Gudgeon
upstairs wants for nothing. Is that story of hers true about her
daughter and Llanbeblig churchyard?'
'That's true enough, though she's a wunner at a lie: that's true
enough.
Pages:
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597