The Sound and the Fury

couldn't see them when they were still going away.

'Out here in the middle of the night.' Dilsey said. She took me up and we went to the kitchen. 'Slipping out behind my back.' Dilsey said. 'When you knowed it's past your bedtime.'

'Shhhh, Dilsey.' Caddy said. 'Dont talk so loud. We've got to be quiet.'

'You hush your mouth and get quiet, then.' Dilsey said. 'Where's Quentin.'

'Quentin's mad because we had to mind me tonight.' Caddy said. 'He's still got T.P.'s bottle of lightning bugs.'

'I reckon T.P. can get along without it.' Dilsey said. 'You go and find Quentin, Versh. Roskus say he seen him going towards the barn.' Versh went on. We couldn't see him.

'They're not doing anything in there.' Caddy said. 'Just sitting in chairs and looking.'

'They dont need no help from you all to do that.' Dilsey said. We went around the kitchen.

19.10

Where you want to go now, Luster said. You going back to watch them knocking ball again. We done looked for it over there. Here. Wait a minute. You wait right here while I go back and get that ball. I done thought of something.

7.1

The kitchen was dark. The trees were black on the sky. Dan came waddling out from under the steps and chewed my ankle. I went around the kitchen, where the moon was. Dan came scuffling along, into the moon. 'Benjy.' T.P. said in the house.

The flower tree by the parlor window wasn't dark, but the thick trees were. The grass was buzzing in the moonlight where my shadow walked on the grass.

'You, Benjy.' T.P. said in the house. 'Where you hiding. You slipping off. I knows it.'

19.11

Luster came back. Wait, he said. Here. Dont go over there. Miss Quentin and her beau in the swing yonder. You come on this way. Come back here, Benjy.

7.2

It was dark under the trees. Dan wouldn't come. He stayed in the moonlight. Then I could see the swing and I began to cry.

19.12

Come away from there, Benjy, Luster said. You know Miss Quentin going to get mad.

7.3

It was two now, and then one in the swing. Caddy came fast, white in the darkness.

'Benjy.' she said. 'How did you slip out. Where's Versh.'

She put her arms around me and I hushed and held to her dress and tried to pull her away.

'Why, Benjy.' she said. 'What is it. T.P.' she called. The one in the swing got up and came, and I cried and pulled Caddy's dress.

'Benjy.' Caddy said. 'It's just Charlie. Dont you know Charlie.'

'Where's his nigger.' Charlie said. 'What do they let him run around loose for.'

'Hush, Benjy.' Caddy said. 'Go away, Charlie. He doesn't like you.' Charlie went away and I hushed. I pulled at Caddy's dress.

'Why, Benjy.' Caddy said. 'Aren't you going to let me stay here and talk to Charlie a while.'

'Call that nigger.' Charlie said. He came back. I cried louder and pulled at Caddy's dress.

'Go away, Charlie.' Caddy said. Charlie came and put his hands on Caddy and I cried more. I cried loud.

'No, no.' Caddy said. 'No. No.'

'He cant talk.' Charlie said. 'Caddy.'

'Are you crazy.' Caddy said. She began to breathe fast. 'He can see. Dont. Dont.' Caddy fought. They both breathed fast. 'Please. Please.' Caddy whispered.

'Send him away.' Charlie said.

'I will.' Caddy said. 'Let me go.'

'Will you send him away.' Charlie said.

'Yes.' Caddy said. 'Let me go.' Charlie went away. 'Hush.' Caddy said. 'He's gone.' I hushed. I could hear her and feel her chest going.

'I'll have to take him to the house.' she said. She took my hand. 'I'm coming.' she whispered.

'Wait.' Charlie said. 'Call the nigger.'

'No.' Caddy said. 'I'll come back. Come on, Benjy.'

'Caddy.' Charlie whispered, loud. We went on. 'You better come back. Are you coming back.' Caddy and I were running. 'Caddy.' Charlie said. We ran out into the moonlight, toward the kitchen.

'Caddy.' Charlie said.

Caddy and I ran. We ran up the kitchen steps, onto the porch, and Caddy knelt down in the dark and held me. I could hear her and feel her chest. 'I wont.' she said. 'I wont anymore, ever. Benjy. Benjy.' Then she was crying, and I cried, and we held each other. 'Hush.' She said. 'Hush. I wont anymore. So I hushed and Caddy got up and we went into the kitchen and turned the light on and Caddy took the kitchen soap and washed her mouth at the sink, hard. Caddy smelled like trees.

19.13

I kept a telling you to stay away from there, Luster said. They sat up in the swing, quick. Quentin had her hands on her hair. He had a red tie.

You old crazy loon, Quentin said. I'm going to tell Dilsey about the way you let him follow everywhere I go. I'm going to make her whip you good.

'I couldn't stop him.' Luster said. 'Come on here, Benjy.'

'Yes you could.' Quentin said. 'You didn't try. You were both snooping around after me. Did Grandmother