Читать книгу The Diary of Delia - Onoto Watanna - Страница 6

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Aroze at 8:30. Washed—all over. Dressed in me best. Borrowed Minnie’s hat wid the grand white ostrich fether. Minnie wint along wid me to the Alluyunce. “For” ses she “its saft you are, mavorneen.”

After paying our fee of $1 we set around thegither wid mebbe 40 uther unforchnut girls in a room on the sicond flure. “Now remimber” ses Minnie, “no gineral housewark for you. Its a grand cook you be, or a foine first-class waitress, or an illigunt chamber-made, or a nurse to a babby oonderstanding all about bottle feeding. Now raymimber what you are.”

“I begin to have mis doubts, Minnie” ses I, trimbling inwardly.

“Ah go wan” ses Minnie, wid contimp, and just thin wan of the Miss Flimflams (for so Minnie had them all named), cum into the room and ses in a loud voyce:

“A nurse! I’ve a call here for a nurse. Must be first-class. Consumtive. Wages $10 a week.”

“Tak it!” wispers Minnie, excitedly and she pushed me along.

“Are you a nurse?” arsks Miss Flimflam, looking at me misdoubtfully.

“Well mam” ses I “Its manny a yung wan——”

“O deer!” ses she impayshuntly, “a trayned nurse is what I want. Are there any trayned nurses here?”

There wint a little pockmarked woman forward.

“What have you dun?” arsks Miss Flimflam.

“‘Now remimber,’ ses Minnie, ‘no gineral housework for you.’”

“Well deerie” ses the pockmarked lady, “I’ve tinded to invaleeds since I was so high deerie. Me speshultys obstetery.”

“Obstetery? Whats that?” arsks Miss Flimflam opening oop her eyes wide.

“Why I’m a midwife, to spake voolgarly deerie” ses the pockmarked wan.

“Oh” ses Miss Flimflam, and wint out larfing.

Shed been gone but a minit whin a stout miss Flimflam cums in in a hurry. She reeds frum a paper in her hand:

“2 lady’s maids, bootler, 3 chamber-mades—cook—in fack all nicessary sarvants for a big coontry place. Now first of all—a thoruly first-class cook—er——”

Minnie had pushed me forward and I wint up bashfully befure her.

“Cum along” ses she, and she tuk me down stares into a grate long room, wid about twinty or thirty ladies sitting in grand drisses on sofies. She leeds me up to a stout old-yung lady sitting forward on the idge of wan of the sofies. “This” ses Miss Flimflam in the swatest voyce, “is Mrs. Regal. Tell her all about yersilf Delia.”

The lady sits a bit further forward and lifts up wan of thim spicticles on top of a reel gold shtick called in Frinch Lorgons.

“How old are you?” ses she.

“Twinty” ses I.

“——five” puts in Minnie quickly, for she’d cum down wid me.

“Ah 25. How minny yeers have you cooked?”

“Well mam—” I began, whin Minnie put in—“Tin yeers.”

“What wages did you get at your last place?”

“Twinty——” I began.

“Twinty a week” ses Minnie boldly.

The lady looked tarribly startled. “Hoo did you wark for? Lit me see your riferinces” ses she.

Minnie hands her the boonch of papers shes after bringing along for me, and the lady looks at them throo her lorgon. Me own riference from Mrs. Wolley, which Miss Clare handed me proudly as I was stipping out, I also had handed to the lady, and I’m all oopset and red wid anger at the pinch on me arm Minnie is after giving me. The lady looks up wid her eyes frowning.

“Why these riferinces are for 2 differunt girls” ses she.

“Luk at that, wud yer?” ses Minnie, playfully. “Now didnt she after be giving you my riferences too by mishtake? This is mine” ses she, and tuk the letter frum Mrs. Wolley frum the lady’s hand.

“Hoom.” Ses the lady, and looks me over frum hed to foot throo her lorgon.

“Whats your name?” ses she, and refers to the letters.

“Delia” ses I innercently, “Miss Delia O’Malley if you plaze mam.”

She set up stiff. Then she got up and putrified me wid a horty stare. Then she swipt over to Miss Flimflam, her silk pitticoat swishing behind her wid anger. Miss Flimflam cum over to me and grabbed me by the arm. She pushed me tord the stair.

“Minnie” ses I upstares, “its seeries throuble youve got me into now.”

“Shaw!” ses Minnie, “Its dun ivery day. They no it. Delia theres twinty ladies for ivery wan girl. Your safe from anny blacklist darlint.”

We seen Miss Flimflam cuming in at the door, and me gilty hart misgiving me, I grabbed Minnie by the arm and we wint out of wan dure as Miss Flimflam wint in by anuther.

“Delia, its a gump you are” ses Minnie with scorn, “but never mind, ye’ve dun enuff for to-day. We’ll be back to-morrow.”