"Well," she said presently. "Did you find it?"
"Find whut?
Whut you talkin about?"
"The note.
At least she would have enough consideration to leave a note.
Even Quentin did that."
"Whut you talkin about?" Dilsey said. "Dont you know she all right?
I bet she be walkin right in dis do befo dark."
"Fiddlesticks," Mrs Compson said. "It's in the blood.
Like uncle, like niece.
Or mother. I dont know which would be worse.
I dont seem to care."
"Whut you keep on talkin that way fur?" Dilsey said. "Whut she want to do anything like that fur?"
"I dont know.
What reason did Quentin have?
Under God's heaven what reason did he have?
It cant be simply to flout and hurt me.
Whoever God is, He would not permit that.
I'm a lady.
You might not believe that from my offspring, but I am."
"You des wait en see," Dilsey said. "She be here by night, right dar in her bed." Mrs Compson said nothing.
The camphor soaked cloth lay upon her brow.
The black robe lay across the foot of the bed.
Dilsey stood with her hand on the door knob.
"Well," Mrs Compson said. "What do you want?
Are you going to fix some dinner for Jason and Benjamin, or not?"
"Jason aint come yit," Dilsey said. "I gwine fix somethin.
You sho you dont want nothin?
Yo bottle still hot enough?"
"You might hand me my bible."
"I give hit to you dis mawnin, befo I left."
"You laid it on the edge of the bed.
How long did you expect it to stay there?"
Dilsey crossed to the bed and groped among the shadows beneath the edge of it and found the bible, face down.
She smoothed the bent pages and laid the book on the bed again.
Mrs Compson didn't open her eyes.
Her hair and the pillow were the same color, beneath the wimple of the medicated cloth she looked like an old nun praying.
"Dont put it there again," she said, without opening her eyes. "That's where you put it before.
Do you want me to have to get out of bed to pick it up?"
Dilsey reached the book across her and laid it on the broad side of the bed.
"You cant see to read, noways," she said. "You want me to raise de shade a little?"
"No.
Let them alone.
Go on and fix Jason something to eat."
Dilsey went out.
She closed the door and returned to the kitchen.
The stove was almost cold.
While she stood there the clock above the cupboard struck ten times.
"One oclock," she said aloud. "Jason aint comin home.
Ise seed de first en de last," she said, looking at the cold stove. "I seed de first en de last." She set out some cold food on a table.