75 лучших рассказов / 75 Best Short Stories

Since then no communication had taken place between the old woman and her grand-niece. As Rose knew, Joanna was implacable in her resentments, and considered that she had been acting aright in what she had done.

The nearest farm to Aunt Joanna’s cottage was occupied by the Hockins. One day Elizabeth, the farmer’s wife, saw the old woman outside the cottage as she was herself returning from market; and, noticing how bent and feeble Joanna was, she halted, and talked to her, and gave her good advice.

�See you now, auntie, you’m gettin’ old and crimmed wi’ rheumatics.

�I don’t want nobody, thank the Lord.’

�Not just now, auntie, but suppose any chance ill-luck were to come on you. And then, in the bad weather, you’m not fit to go abroad after the turves, and you can’t get all you want – tay and sugar and milk for yourself now.

�Who should I have?’ asked Joanna.

�Well, now, you couldn’t do better than take little Mary, Rose Hext’s eldest girl. She’s a handy maid, and bright and pleasant to speak to.’

�No,’ answered the old woman, �I’ll have none o’ they Hexts, not I. The Lord is agin Rose and all her family, I know it. I’ll have none of them.’

�But, auntie, you must be nigh on ninety.’

�I be ower that. But what o’ that? Didn’t Sarah[40 - Sarah – a biblical figure, in the Old Testament, the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac], the wife of Abraham[41 - Abraham – in the Old Testament, the first of the Hebrew patriarchs, revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam], live to an hundred and seven and twenty years, and that in spite of him worritin’ of her wi’ that owdacious maid of hem, Hagar[42 - Hagar – in the Old Testament, Sarah’s maid and Abraham’s mistress, the mother of his illegitimate son, Ishmael]? If it hadn’t been for their goings on, of Abraham and Hagar, it’s my belief that she’d ha’ held on to a hundred and fifty-seven.

Then she went indoors and shut the door.

After that a week elapsed without Mrs. Hockin seeing the old woman. She passed the cottage, but no Joanna was about. The door was not open, and usually it was.