Chapter X: Act II: Scene 2

_After a few moments_ MILES HOOPER _and_ LUKE JENNER _come into the kitchen_. _They both look round the room enquiringly_.

LUKE. Ah, she be still up above with that there serving wench what’s come.

MILES. My good man, you didn’t expect our fair miss to have finished her toilet under an hour, did you?

LUKE. I don’t see what there was to begin on myself, let alone finish.

MILES. ’Tis clear you know little of the ways of our town beauties, Luke.

LUKE. Still, I mean to have my try with her, Miles Hooper.

MILES. [_Sarcastically_.] I’m quite agreeable, Mister Jenner.

[THOMAS _and_ GEORGE _come in_. GEORGE _carries a bucket of water_.

THOMAS. Where’s the little maid got to? George and me be come up from the field on purpose for to bid her welcome home.

MILES. Miss is still at her toilet, farmer.

[JOAN, _in a flowered silk gown_, _comes slowly and carefully into the room_, _followed by_ CLARA, _who carries a lace shawl over one arm_. _She has put on a large white apron_, _but wears nothing on her head but the narrow blue ribbon_. _During the following scene she stands quietly_, _half hidden by the door_.

[JOAN _looks nervously round the room_, _then she draws herself up very haughtily_. MILES _comes forward and bows low_.

THOMAS. [_Looking_ JOAN _up and down_.] Well, bless my soul, who’d have guessed at the change it do make in a wench?

JOAN. [_Holding out her hand_, _very coldly_.] A good afternoon to you, sir.

THOMAS. [_Taking her hand slowly_.] Upon my word, but you might knock me over.

MILES. Miss has grown into a very superb young lady, Thomas.

THOMAS. [_Still looking at her_.] That may be so, yet ’twasn’t as such I had figured she in the eye of my mind, like. [_There is a moment’s silence_.

THOMAS. George, my boy, you and sister Clara used to be up to rare games one with t’other once on a time. [_Turning to_ JOAN.] There, my wench, I count you’ve not forgotten Georgie?

JOAN. I’m afeared I’ve not much of a memory.

THOMAS. Shake hands, my maid, and very like as the memory will come back to roost same as the fowls do.

JOAN. [_Bowing coldly_.] Good afternoon, George.

MILES. [_Aside to Luke_.] Now that’s what I call a bit of stylish breeding.

[GEORGE _has made no answer to_ JOAN’S _bow_. _He quietly ignores it_, _and takes up his pail of water_. _As he does so he catches sight of_ CLARA, _who has been watching the whole scene from the corner where she is partly concealed_. _He looks at her for one moment_, _and then sets the bucket down again_.

THOMAS. Why, George—I guess as it’s took you as it took me, us didn’t think how ’twould appear when Miss Clara was growed up.

GEORGE. [_Quietly_.] No, us did not, master.

[_He carries his pail into the back kitchen as_ EMILY _and the children come in_.

EMILY. What’s all this to-do in my kitchen, I should like to know?

THOMAS. Us did but come up for to—to give a handshake to sister Clara, like.

EMILY. Well, now you can go off back to work again. And you—[_turning to_ JOAN]—now that you’ve finished curling of your hair and dressing of yourself up, you can go and sit down in the best parlour along with your fancy gentlemen.

MILES. [_Offering his arm to_ JOAN.] It will be my sweet pleasure to conduct Missy to the parlour.

[LUKE _offers his arm on the other side_, _and_ JOAN _moves off with both the young men_.

JOAN. [_As she goes_.] Indeed, I shall be glad to rest on a comfortable couch. I’m dead tired of the country air already.

ROBIN. [_Calling after her_.] You’ll not go off to sleep afore the chicken and sparrow grass is ate, will you, Aunt?

[MILES, LUKE _and_ JOAN _having gone out_, EMILY _begins to bang the chairs back in their places and to arrange the room_, _watched by the two children_. CLARA, _who has remained half hidden by the door_, _now goes quietly upstairs_.

EMILY. [_Calling_.] Here, George, Mag.

[GEORGE _comes in_.

EMILY. Well, George, ’tisn’t much worse nor I expected.

JESSIE. I don’t like Aunt Clara.

ROBIN. I hates her very much.

GEORGE. [_Slowly_.] And I don’t seem to fancy her neither.

[_Curtain_.]