DICEY. He spoke a word and all the beauty of life seemed to shrivel up and die away. And then somebody not far away contradicted him. In a moment the cloud was gone and the whole world seemed even brighter and happier than it had been before. HORACE. Lor’, the fellow thinks he is making love! Makes me sick to hear him. I’d like to kick him! MESSENGER. What right have you to stand in the way of this young man who gives love for love? You don’t love her. HORACE. I think I do. MESSENGER. He knows he does. HORACE. Minnie knows I do, but she doesn’t want to be reminded of it every minute or two. MESSENGER. A great mistake. Women don’t like to be taken for granted. Listen! DICEY. What could he ever be to you? Certainly no companion for life. He? He is only fit to be a bit of furniture in a library, while you are all life and sunshine. Minnie, you know I love you. MINNIE. Hush! You mustn’t say that. DICEY. I know I’m not worthy of you. HORACE. That’s the first sensible thing he has said yet. MESSENGER. Have you ever said it? HORACE. Of course not. I have been worthy of her all the time. DICEY. Your happiness would be everything to me. MINNIE. I think you mean what you say. HORACE. He doesn’t! The beast! DICEY. Now for a small confession. Ever so long ago I bought a ring, in hope, or, perhaps, in despair. Whenever my chances seemed most faint, fortune most forbidding, I used to take it out of my pocket and look at it. HORACE. Silly ass! Can you imagine a more deplorable waste of time? Whenever a man is down on his luck to take out a ring and look at it? Oh, dear, oh, dear! DICEY. Am I forgiven? MINNIE. You are silly. HORACE. There! See? She agrees with me! DICEY. May I put it on? MINNIE. (_Bus. with ring_) Oh, Arthur, how lovely! Oh, what a beauty! Oh, it is ever so much prettier than—— HORACE. Of course. Of course. How like a woman! The diamonds are bigger and that settles the whole thing! (_Lights down within house, only the exterior now shown._) MESSENGER. Never mind, you said you were going to buy her a thimble to-morrow. What’s a diamond ring to a thimble? HORACE. I meant a present. I didn’t particularize so, I simply called it a thimble. But I’ll buy her a star to-morrow—an enormous star of diamonds. I’ll make Mr. Dicey sit up! MESSENGER. So like a man. He thinks if the diamonds are bigger that will settle the whole thing. HORACE. Of course it is unnecessary. Minnie would not marry a brainless idiot like Dicey. Aunt Martha would see to that. After all, Aunt Martha is a sensible woman. MESSENGER. Though somewhat narrow-minded. HORACE. She can’t help that, poor thing. Aunt Martha would never sit still and see Minnie sacrificed. MESSENGER. Quite true. Let us hear her wishes. (_Waves his hand and interior is again illuminated. AUNT and MRS. CLARENCE are discovered seated._) MRS. CLARENCE. I am so sorry Horace was not able to come with you. HORACE. That is Mrs. Clarence. AUNT. So am I, for his sake.