"Did you think Caddy had run away?"

We went to Caddy's room. <and> She sat down by the mirror, <and I> Then she stopped her hands and looked at me.

"Why, Benjy, <[illegible]> what is it?" she said. "You mustn't cry. Caddy's not going away. See here," she said. She took up the bottle and
took the stopper out and held it to me. "Sweet. Smell. Good."

But I went away and <she sat> I began to cry, and she sat with the bottle in her hand, looking at me.

"Oh," she said. She put the bottle down and came and put her arms around me again. "So that was it. And you were trying to
tell Caddy and you couldn't tell her. You wanted to, but you couldn't, could you? Of course Caddy wont: Of course Caddy
wont. Just wait till I dress."

Caddy dressed and we went down to the kitchen.

"Dilsey," Caddy said, "Benjy's got a present for you." She stooped down and put the bottle in my hand. "Hold your hand out to
Dilsey, now." Caddy held my hand out and Dilsey took the bottle.

"Well, I'll declare," Dilsey said. "If my baby aint give Dilsey a bottle of perfume. Just look a here, Roskus." <Thanky. Thanky." Dilsey>

<"We dont like perfume, me and Benjy," Caddy said.

"We thought you'd like it," Caddy said.

put the bottle on the shelf.>

Caddy smelled like trees. "We dont like perfume, ourselves," Caddy said. She smelled like trees

"Come on, now," Dilsey said. "You too big to sleep with folks.
[margin: thirteen years old ]
<Youre a big boy>
[margin: <and go to sleep in your own room?">]

[margin: "You're a big boy, now. Thirteen years old. Big enough to sleep by yourself in Uncle Maury's room"
Dilsey said. Uncle Maury was sick.

His eye was sick, and his mouth.
Versh took his <dinner> supper up to his room.
"Maury says he's going to shoot the scoundrel," Father said. "I told him he'd better not mention it to him before hand." He drank.
"Jason!" Mother said.
"Shoot who, Father?" Quentin said. "What's Uncle Maury going to shoot him for?"
"Because he couldn't take a joke," Father said.
"Jason!" Mother said. "How can you? You'd sit right there and see Maury shot down from ambush, and laugh."
"Shoot who," Father?" Quentin said. "Who's Uncle Maury going to shoot?"
"Nobody," Father said. "I haven't got any pistol."
Mother began to cry. "If you begrudge Maury your food, why aren't you man enough to say so to his face? To ridicule
him before the children, behind his back."
"Of course I dont," Father said. "I admire Maury. <He restores my [illegible]>is invaluable to my own egoism.
I wouldn't swap Maury for a <team of> matched team. Do you know why, Quentin?"

"No, sir," Quentin said.

"Et ego in arcadia —— I forgot the latin for hay," Father said. "There, there," he said, "I was just joking. He drank and set the glass down and got up and went around to
Mother's chair and pulled her back.

"It's no joke," Mother said. "My people are every bit as well born as any of you. Just because Maury's health is bad."

"Of course," Father said. "<It is> bad health <that brings us into the world> is the primary reason for all life. Created by disease, within disease, into decay. Versh."

<"Yes,"> <Versh said, "Sir." beyond the door.>

"Sir," Versh said behind my chair.

"<Go> Take the decanter and fill it."

<"Youre a big boy," Dilsey said. "Caddy tired sleeping with you —>

"And Tell Dilsey <to take Benjamin up to bed> she can come and take Benjamin up to bed," Mother said.

"Youre a big boy," Dilsey said. "Caddy tired sleeping with you. Hush, now, so you can go to sleep."

"Aint you going to be a good boy and hush?" Dilsey said. "All right, then."

She went away. She came back with Caddy.

"Hush," Caddy said, "I'm coming."

I hushed and Dilsey turned back the spread and Caddy got in between the spread and the blanket. She didn't take off
her bathrobe.

"Now," she said, "Here I am." Dilsey came in with a blanket and spread it on her and tucked it around her. "He be
gone in a minute," Dilsey said. "I leave the light in your room."

"All right," Caddy said. She snuggled her head beside mine on the pillow. "Good night, Dilsey."

"Goodnight, honey," Dilsey said. The room went black. Caddy smelled like trees.

We looked up into the tree where she was.

"What she seeing, Versh?" Frony <said.> whispered.

"Shh," Caddy said in the tree. Dilsey said,

"You come on here." She was coming around the corner. "Whyn't you all go up stairs, like your paw said, stead of slip-
ping out behind my back? Where's Caddy and Quentin?"