Page 401 - sons-and-lovers

‘And you’ve been going with Miriam Leivers?’ the moth-
er asked him.
‘Well—‘ he answered.
‘Yes, she’s a nice girl,’ she continued. ‘She’s very nice, but
she’s a bit too much above this world to suit my fancy.’
‘She is a bit like that,’ he agreed.
‘She’ll never be satisfied till she’s got wings and can fly
over everybody’s head, she won’t,’ she said.
Clara broke in, and he told her his message. She spoke
humbly to him. He had surprised her in her drudgery. To
have her humble made him feel as if he were lifting his head
in expectation.
‘Do you like jennying?’ he asked.
‘What can a woman do!’ she replied bitterly.
‘Is it sweated?’
‘More or less. Isn’t ALL woman’s work? That’s another
trick the men have played, since we force ourselves into the
labour market.’
‘Now then, you shut up about the men,’ said her mother.
‘If the women wasn’t fools, the men wouldn’t be bad uns,
that’s what I say. No man was ever that bad wi’ me but what
he got it back again. Not but what they’re a lousy lot, there’s
no denying it.’
‘But they’re all right really, aren’t they?’ he asked.
‘Well, they’re a bit different from women,’ she answered.
‘Would you care to be back at Jordan’s?’ he asked Clara.
‘I don’t think so,’ she replied.
‘Yes, she would!’ cried her mother; ‘thank her stars if she
could get back. Don’t you listen to her. She’s for ever on that

00 Sons and Lovers