human
Come--come in, she gasped.
gpt
Quick--I'm slipping.
human
There, there, dearie, tucking the cloak round her feet.
gpt
Lift up the piller, my 'ands are that mucky. Will yer 'ave anythin'?
human
It's gone, she muttered.
gpt
Now--tell me.
human
Tell yer?--tell yer what! Why--why--there ain't jest nothin' to tell yer.
gpt
What were they saying? Quick.
human
I didn't 'ear nothin'. They was talking about some ballet-woman.
gpt
You might tell me, Liz. You might tell me. I've been a good sort to you.
human
That yer 'ave. I knows yer 'ave, dearie. There, there, don't yer take on like that. Yer'll only make yerself bad again.
gpt
Tell me--tell me, she wailed.
human
I've been a good sort to you, Liz.
gpt
Well, they wasn't talkin' of no ballet-woman--that's straight,
human
What did he say?--tell me.
gpt
I can't tell yer--don't yer ask me--for God's sake, don't yer ask me.
human
Oh! for God's sake, don't yer take on like that--it's awful--I can't stand it. There, dearie, stop that cryin' an' I'll tell yer--I will indeed. It was jest this way--I slips my shoes off, an' I goes down as careful--jest as careful as a cat--an' when I gets to the door I crouches myself down, listenin' as 'ard as ever I could. The first things as I 'ears was Mr. Dick speakin' thick-like--like as if 'ee'd bin drinkin'--an t'other chap 'ee says somethin' about lungs, using some long word--I missed that--there was a van or somethin' rackettin' on the road. Then 'ee says 'gallopin', gallopin',' jest like as 'ee was talkin' of a 'orse. An' Mr. Dick, 'ee says, 'ain't there no chance--no'ow?' and 'ee give a sort of a grunt. I was awful sorry for 'im, that I was, 'ee must 'ave been crool bad, 'ee's mostly so quiet-like, ain't 'ee? An', in a minute, ee sort o' groans out somethin', an' t'other chap 'es answer 'im quite cool-like, that 'ee don't properly know; but, anyways, it 'ud be over afore the end of February. There I've done it. Oh! dearie, it's awful, awful, that's jest what it is. An' I 'ad no intention to tell yer--not a blessed word--that I didn't--may God strike me blind if I did! Some'ow it all come out, seein' yer chokin' that 'ard an' feelin' at the wall there. Yer 'ad no right to ask me to do it--'ow was I to know 'ee was a doctor?
gpt
Look 'ere, don't yer b'lieve a word of it--I don't--I tell yer they're a 'umbuggin' lot, them doctors, all together. I know it. Yer take my word for that--yer'll git all right again. Yer'll be as well as I am, afore yer've done--Oh, Lord!--it's jest awful--I feel that upset--I'd like to cut my tongue out, for 'avin' told yer--but I jest couldn't 'elp myself. She was retreating towards the door, wiping her eyes, and snorting out loud sobs--
human
An', don't you offer me that half quid--I couldn't take it of yer--that I couldn't.
gpt
How could he know? Of course he couldn't know. She'd been a lot better this last fortnight--the other doctor said so--she didn't believe it--she didn't care----Anyway, it would be over before the end of February!