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Carmella Commands

Carmella’s wrath flamed suddenly high.

“I will go!” she shouted.

“You—are—not—go!”

“But I will!”

For a moment, in her excitement, Maria could think of none of the other phrases she had planned. But so far Carmella had not laughed at her language. This gave her courage to go on.

“You have not ask. So you do not go. You wash the deesh.”

“Listen!” cried Carmella angrily. “Where do you get that stuff? Just because you can say a-b-c in our language! I’m going to Amelia’s!”

Maria felt herself powered to eloquence:

“Leesten! You try to skeep. No for you! You washa the deesh! You act bad when you dare. Now you mind me. You aska me when you weesha go out.”

“But I promised.” Carmella realized that she was on the defensive.

“Pro-meese? Be damn! For long time you act bad. You no theenk madre she know nothing. Now you know. You ask when you weesh go. I tell you.”

The front door opened and Tommaso entered. Maria seized the moment with true dramatic instinct. Raising her voice she cried:

“You not go! You washa deesh! You help! I say so!”

“You go to hell!” shouted Carmella, furious with anger.

[254]