LIFE OF AUGIE MARCH
1083
my mother for the glasses I was always carefully instructed by the old
woman and had to sit and listen with immaculate care. My mother
too had to be present, for there must be no slip-up. She must be
coached to say nothing. "Remember, Rebecca," Grandma would
repeat, "let him answer everything." To which Mama was too obe–
dient even to answer "yes" but only sat and kept her long hands
folded on the bottle-fly irridescence of the dress the old woman had
picked for her to wear. Very healthy and smooth, her color, none of
us inherited it from her, or the form of her nose with nostrils turned
back and showing a little of the partition. "You keep out of it.
If
they ask you something, you look at August like this." And illustrated
how she was to turn to me, terribly exact, if she had only been able
to drop her habitual grandeur. "Don't tell anything. Only answer
questions," she said to me. My mother was anxious that I should be
worthy and faithful. Simon and I were her miracles or accidents;
Georgie was her own true work in which she returned to her fate after
blessed and undeserved success. "Augie, listen to Grandma; hear
what she says," was all she ever dared when the old woman unfolded
her plan.
"When they ask you, 'Where is your father?' you say, 'I don't
know where, Miss.' No matter how old she is, you shouldn't forget to
say 'Miss.'
If
she wants to know where he was the last time you heard
from him, you must tell her that the last time he sent a money-order
was about two years ago from Buffalo, New York. Never say a word
about the Charity. The Charity you should never mention, you hear
that? Never. When she asks you how much the rent is, tell her
eighteen dollars. When she asks where the money comes from, say
you have boarders. How many? Two boarders. Now, say to me, how
much rent?"
"Eighteen dollars."
"And how many boarders?"
"Two."
"And how much do they pay?"
"How much should I say?"
"Eight dollars each, a week."
"Eight dollars."
"So you can't go to a private doctor, if you get sixty-four dollars
a month. The eye-drops alone cost me five when I went, and he
