Requiem for a Nun

REQUIEM FOR A NUN 325

this nature, even though by this time tomorrow the State itself

will have made restitution with the perpetrator's life. He tries

to rectify it)

Not that I wouldn't too, if I'd a been the ma of the very-

(stopping himself again; this is getting worse than ever; now he

not only is looking at Stevens, but actually addressing him)

Every Sunday night, and every night since last Sunday except last night-come

to think of it, Lawyer, where was you last night? We missed you-Lawyer here

and Na-the prisoner have been singing hymns in her cell. The first time, he

just stood out there on the sidewalk while she stood in that window yonder.

Which was all right, not doing no harm, just singing church hymns. Because

all of us home folks here in Jefferson and Yoknapatawpha County both know

Lawyer Stevens, even if some of us might have thought he got a little out of

line-

(again it is getting out of hand; he realises it, but there is

nothing he can do now; he is like someone walking a foot-log: all

he can do is move as fast as he dares until he can reach solid

ground or at least pass another log to leap to)

defending a nigger murderer, let alone when it was his own niece was mur-

(and reaches another log and leaps to it without stopping: at

least one running at right angles for a little distance into

simple generality)

-maybe suppose some stranger say, some durn Yankee tourist, happened to be

passing through in a car, when we get enough durn criticism from Yankees

like it is-besides, a white man standing out there in the cold, while a

durned nigger murderer is up here all warm and comfortable; so it happened

that me and Mrs Tubbs hadn't went to prayer meeting that night, so we

invited hirn to come in; and to tell the truth, we come to enjoy it too.

Because as soon as they found out there wasn't going to be no objection to

it,