35
The film was a Western and the sound of gunshots and galloping hooves
drowned out the voice of Mrs Mullet.
The doer scraped open and Mr Jackson put his head round it. "I'm
back, Aggie.O Oh hello there, Mrs Mullet, how are you?"
"I' Not so bad."
"You'll be wanting your supper?" Mrs Jackson said to her husband.
"Could do with a cup of tea at any rate. Your husband's home
from the meeting the now, Mrs Mullet. Looking for his supper too, I bet."sup>
I'll be bound."
"You men never think of anything but your stomachs!" Mrs Mullet
got y up. "I'll be seeing you."
She went out.
Mrs Jackson tunred the television sound right down. "That woman
gives me the bokes!dry bokes!
Mr Jackson laughed and rubbed his hands together. He had had a
pint of Guinness on the way back from the meeting and was in good form.
"Aggie, what a thing to say! I heard you telling Sadie off the
other day for using the words."
"I'd tell her off if she was here right now. The trouble she
gets us in to! She's always causing talk in this street, Jim,
and it's time she was stopping it. I'm sick of that Mullet woman
coming over here to tell me the latest gossip about Sadie."
"Ah, Sadie's all rightx."
"Hanging about with a Mick? Do you not mind that?"
Mr Jackson's face sobered. "I mind that all right. But there may
