(_HORACE goes out and brings DR. CHAPMAN in R._) HORACE. This is the worst case, Doctor. (_DR. CHAPMAN goes to lad on sofa. Enter BELLA R._) BELLA. Some of the rooms are ready, sir. HORACE. Will you dispose them, Auntie? (_Apart to her_) I ought to apologize to you for bringing in all this crowd without asking you, but you see what a deplorable—— AUNT. (_Patting his shoulder_) Nephew, I am proud of you! HORACE. Funny! I thought she’d kick. AUNT. Let this old couple come first, and the children, and you. (_AUNT MARTHA shepherds about half the crowd off R. and exits._) TRAMP. (_To HORACE_) Boy is in a bad way, Guv’ner, but Doctor thinks he can pull him through. MINNIE. You brought him in. I thought he was your son. TRAMP. No, Miss, I ain’t got no son, only a daughter. MINNIE. Has he no friends? TRAMP. His mother was burnt up, Miss, to-night. (_MINNIE nearly faints, and HORACE catches her. She gently removes herself from his arms._) Excuse me, Miss, I was too blunt with it. HORACE. There, Minnie, don’t give way. They will need your help. BELLA. (_Enter R._) The other rooms are ready, sir. MINNIE. Can you walk now better? Don’t cry, we will get you some clothes in the morning. SECOND WORKING WOMAN. God bless your kind heart, Miss, and you, sir. We’d have died if you hadn’t come. (_MINNIE shows them off with BELLA R., and exits with crowd._) HORACE. What is to be done, Doctor? DR. CHAPMAN. Well, if you wish to turn your house into a hospital, all right. To save his life, he must be put to bed at once, and kept there. (_Enter AUNT MARTHA R. Sees lad on sofa._) AUNT. Oh, how could I? I have forgotten the principal sufferer, and there is not another room left. HORACE. Have you used mine? AUNT. Horace! HORACE. Let him have that. May it save him is all I say! Now how to move him. DR. CHAPMAN. Carry him as he is, sofa and all. That will save a good deal of strain. (_DR. CHAPMAN, HORACE and TRAMP carry out boy on sofa R. MINNIE enters as they exeunt._) MINNIE. Where can they be going to put that poor boy? AUNT. Horace insists upon giving up his bed and room to him. MINNIE. (_Astounded_) No! AUNT. (_Sharing her wonderment_) Yes. (_They look at each other for a moment in silence._) MINNIE. Well, I can believe it after what he has been doing at the fire. AUNT. Do you know, Minnie, I hardly think you should call a man, with a mind rather above social small talk, selfish, because he doesn’t care to go to your balls with you. MINNIE. It was you who said he was selfish. I was willing to give up the dance. AUNT. I don’t dance. You have misjudged him. He is the soul of generosity. Do you know, he actually began excusing himself to me for bringing the poor people in out of the cold. MINNIE. Fancy those babies sleeping through it all! Weren’t they sweet? (_Enter TRAMP and HORACE R._) AUNT. And you, my poor fellow! I must find a corner for you somewhere. You have no home now, I suppose.