Chapter XXII: Act II: Scene 2

_The same room_. _The table is laid for dinner and_ ISABEL _is putting flowers upon it_. LUBIN _wearing his hat_, _enters with large jugs of cider_, _which he sets upon a side table_.

ISABEL. [_Looking up from her work_.] Shall us ever have the heart to go on with it, Master Lubin?

LUBIN. [_Bitterly_.] Do not you “Master” me, Isabel. I’m only a common servant in the house where once I was lover and almost brother.

ISABEL. [_Coming up to him_.] O do not take it so hard, Lubin—Us can do naught at this pass but trust what the young woman did tell me.

LUBIN. [_Gloomily_.] The sight of Rose has stirred up my love so powerful that I do hardly know how to hold the tears back from my eyes.

ISABEL. [_Pressing her eyes with her apron_.] What’ll it be for me when Robert comes in?

LUBIN. We’ll have to help one another, Isabel, in the plight where we stand.

ISABEL. That’s it. And perchance as them seeds’ll do the rest.

[_They spring apart as a sound of voices and laughter is heard outside_.

KITTY. [_Runs in_.] They’ve come. All of them. And do you know that Robert’s cousins are no fine ladies at all, as he said, but just two common old women dressed grand-like.

ISABEL. That will be a sad shock to poor mistress.

KITTY. O, she is too much taken up with Mister Robert to notice yet. But quick! They are all sharp set from the drive. Fetch in the dishes, William and Lucy.

ISABEL. All shall be ready in a moment, Miss Kitty.

[_She goes hurriedly out followed by_ LUBIN. KITTY _glances round the room and then stands at the side of the front door_. JOHN, _giving an arm to each of_ ROBERT’S _cousins_, _enters_. _The cousins are dressed in coloured flowered dresses_, _and wear bonnets that are heavy with bright plumes_. _They look cumbered and ill at ease in their clothes_, _and carry their sunshades and gloves awkwardly_.

LIZ. [_Looking round her_.] Very comfortable, I’m sure. But I count as that there old-fashioned grate do take a rare bit of elbow grease.

JANE. Very pleasant indeed. But I didn’t reckon as the room would be quite the shape as ’tis.

LIZ. Come to that, I didn’t expect the house to look as it do.

JANE. Very ancient in appearance, I’m sure.

JOHN. Ah, the house has done well enough for me and my father and grandfather afore me.

[ROSE, _very grandly dressed_, _comes in hanging on_ ROBERT’S _arm_. ROBERT _is clothed in the fashion of the town_.

ROSE. Please to remove your bonnet, Miss Eliza. Please to remove yours, Miss Jane.

JOHN. [_Heartily_.] Ah, that’s so—’Twill be more homely like for eating.

ROSE. There’s a glass upon the wall.

LIZ. I prefer to remain as I be.

JANE. Sister and me have our caps packed up in the tin box.

KITTY. [_Bringing the tin box from the doorway_.] Shall I take you upstairs to change? Dinner’s not quite ready yet.

LIZ. That will suit us best, I’m sure. Come, sister.

[KITTY _leads the way out_, _followed by both sisters_.

JOHN. I’ll just step outside and see that Jerry’s tending to the horse.

[_He hurries out_, _and_ ROBERT _is left alone with_ ROSE.

ROSE. [_Coming towards him and holding out her hands_.] O, Robert, is it the same between us as it was last time?

ROBERT. [_Looking at her critically_.] You’ve got your hair different or something.

ROSE. [_Putting her hand to her head_.] The new maid. A stupid country wench.

ROBERT. You’ve got my meaning wrong. ’Tis that I’ve never seen you look so well before.

ROSE. O dear Robert!

ROBERT. You’ve got my fancy more than ever, Rose.

ROSE. O, I’m so happy to be going off with you to-morrow, and I love it down at Bristol. Robert, I’m tired and sick of country life.

ROBERT. We’ll make a grand fine lady of you there, Rose.

ROSE. [_A little sharply_.] Am I not one in looks already, Robert?

ROBERT. You’re what I do dote upon. I can’t say no more.

[LUBIN _and_ ISABEL _enter carrying dishes_, _which they set upon the table_. ROBERT _and_ ROSE _turn their backs to them and look out into the garden_. _The staircase door is opened_, _and_ LIZ, JANE _and_ KITTY _come into the room_. LIZ _and_ JANE _are wearing gaudy caps trimmed with violet and green ribbons_.

ROSE. We’ll sit down, now. John won’t be a moment before he’s here.

[_She sits down at one end of the table and signs to_ ROBERT _to place himself next to her_. _The sisters and_ KITTY _seat themselves_. JOHN _comes hurriedly in_.

JOHN. That’s right. Everyone in their places? But no cover laid for Mary?

ROSE. [_Carelessly_.] We can soon have one put, should she take it into her head to drop in.

JOHN. That’s it. Now ladies, now Robert—’tis thirsty work a-driving upon the Bristol road at midsummer. We’ll lead off with a drink of home-made cider. The eating’ll come sweeter afterwards.

ROBERT. That’s it, Miller.

[LUBIN _and_ ISABEL _come forward and take the cider mugs from each place to the side table_, _where_ LUBIN _fills them from a large jug_. _In the mugs of_ ROSE-ANNA _and_ ROBERT, ISABEL _shakes the contents of the little packets_. _Whilst they are doing this the following talk is carried on at the table_.

LIZ [_Taking up a spoon_.] Real plated, sister.

JANE. Upon my word, so ’tis.

ROSE. And not so bright as I should wish to see it neither. I’ve had a sad trouble with my maids of late.

LIZ. Sister and I don’t keep none of them, thank goodness.

JANE. We does our work with our own hands. We’d be ashamed if ’twas otherwise.

ROBERT. [_Scowling at them_.] I’ve been and engaged a house-full of servants for Rose-Anna. She shall know what ’tis to live like a lady once she enters our family.

JOHN. Servants be like green fly on the bush. They do but spoil th’ home and everything they do touch. All save one.

KITTY. And that one’s Jerry, I suppose.

JOHN. You’re right there, Kitty, that you are. A harder head was never given to man than what Jerry do carry twixt his shoulders.

[LUBIN _and_ ISABEL _here put round the mugs of cider_, _and everyone drinks thirstily_. ISABEL _stands behind the chairs of_ ROSE _and_ ROBERT _and_ LUBIN _at_ JOHN’S _side_.

ROBERT. [_Setting down his mug_.] There’s a drink what can’t be got in foreign parts.

ROSE. [_Looking fondly at him_.] Let the maid fill your mug again, my dear one.

ROBERT. [_Carelessly handing it to_ ISABEL.] I don’t mind if I do have another swill.

[ISABEL _fills the mug and puts it by his side_.

LIZ. As good as any I ever tasted.

JANE. Couldn’t better it at the King’s Head up our way.

JOHN. Good drink—plenty of it. Now we’ll start upon the meat I reckon.

[_He takes up a knife and fork and begins to carve_, _and_ LUBIN _hands round plates_. _During this_ ROBERT’S _gaze restlessly wanders about the room_, _finally fixing itself on_ ISABEL, _who presently goes out to the back kitchen with plates_.

ROBERT. The new serving maid you’ve got there, Rose, should wear a cap and not her bonnet.

ROSE. How sharp you are to notice anything.

ROBERT. A very pretty looking wench, from what I can see.

ROSE. [_Speaking more to the cousins than to_ ROBERT.] O she’s but a rough and untrained girl got in all of a hurry. Not at all the sort I’ve been used to in this house, I can tell you.

[ISABEL _comes back with fresh plates and stands at the side table_.

LIZ. [_To_ JANE.] A mellower piece of pig meat I never did taste, sister.

JANE. I’m sorry I went and took the poultry.

KITTY. John will carve you some ham if you’d like to try it, Miss Jane.

JANE. I’m sure I’m much obliged.

[JEREMY _comes in_.]

JEREMY. [_Coming to the back of_ JANE’S _chair_.] Don’t you get mixing of your meats is what I says. Commence with ham and finish with he. That’s what do suit the inside of a delicate female.

JANE. [_Looking up admiringly_.] Now that’s just what old Uncle he did used to say.

JEREMY. Old uncle did know what he was a-talking about then.

LIZ. [_Warming and looking less awkward and ill at ease_.] ’Twas the gout what kept Uncle so low in his eating, ’twas not th’ inclination of him.

JEREMY. Ah ’twouldn’t be the gout nor any other disease as would keep me from a platter of good food.

JOHN. Nor from your mug of drink neither, Jerry.

[JEREMY _laughs and moves off to the side table_.

LIZ. A very pleasant sort of man.

JANE. I do like anyone what’s homely.

JOHN. [_Calling out heartily_.] Do you listen to that, Jerry! The ladies here do find you pleasant and homely, and I don’t know what else.

JEREMY. The mugs want filling once more.

[_He stolidly goes round the table refilling the mugs_. ROSE’S _gaze wanders about her_.

ROSE. [_To_ ROBERT.] That’s not a bad looking figure of a man—

ROBERT. Who?

ROSE. Well—the new farm hand.

ROBERT. A sulky looking brute. I’d not let him wear his hat to table if I was master here.

ROSE. He puts me in mind of—well—there, I can’t recollect who ’tis. [_A knock is heard at the door_.

ROSE. [_Sharply to_ ISABEL.] Go and see who ’tis, Lucy.

[ISABEL _opens the door_, _and_ MARY MEADOWS _stands on the threshold_, _a large nosegay of beautiful wild flowers in her hand_.

JOHN. [_Rising up in great pleasure_.] You’re late, Mary. But you’re welcome as the—as the very sunshine.

ROSE. Set another place, Lucy.

MARY. Not for me, Rose. I did not come here to eat or drink, but to bring you these few blossoms and my love.

ROSE. [_Rises from the table and takes the nosegay_.] I’m sure you’re very kind, Mary—Suppose we were all to move into the parlour now we have finished dinner, and then we could enjoy a bit of conversation.

LIZ. Very pleasant, I’m sure.

JANE. I see no objection.

KITTY. [_Running round to look at the flowers_.] And Mary shall tell us how to make charms out of the flowers—and the meanings of the blossoms and all the strange things she knows about them.

JOHN. [_Taking a flower from the bunch and putting it into his coat_.] Yes, and how to brew tea as’ll curl up anyone’s tongue within the mouth for a year—and fancy drinks for sheep with foot rot, and powders against the murrain and any other nonsense that you do please.

MARY. Now, John, I’ll not have you damage my business like this.

LIZ. Maybe as the young person’s got sommat what’ll be handy with your complaint, sister.

JANE. Or for when you be took with th’ air in your head so bad, Jane.

ROSE. Yes, I reckon that Mary has a charm for every ill beneath the sun. Let’s go off to the parlour along of her. You’re not coming with us, John, are you?

JOHN. I’d not miss the telling of these things for anything in the world, foolishness though they be.

ROSE. Come along then—all of you.

[_They all go out_. JEREMY _holds the door open for them_. _As she passes through it_ LIZ _says_, _looking at him_.

LIZ. We shall hope for your company, too.

JANE. To be sure, mister.

JEREMY. [_Haughtily_.] I bain’t one for parlours, nor charms, ma’am. I be here for another purpose.

[_They leave the room_.

JEREMY. [_Having watched the party out_, _moves towards the cider jug_.] Now, my man, now, my wench—us’ll see what can be done with the victuals and drink they’ve been and left. ’Tis a fair heavy feed and drink as I do need. Sommat as’ll lift me up through all the trials of this here foolish matrimony and stuff.

[_He raises the jug of cider to his mouth as the Curtain falls_.