[_Brigid crosses the room and goes out into the garden. Bertha goes towards the doors on the right. At the lounge she stops and takes up the slip._] BRIGID. [_In the garden._] Master Archie! You are to come in to your tea. BERTHA. Am I to go to this place? RICHARD. Do you want to go? BERTHA. I want to find out what he means. Am I to go? RICHARD. Why do you ask me? Decide yourself. BERTHA. Do you tell me to go? RICHARD. No. BERTHA. Do you forbid me to go? RICHARD. No. BRIGID. [_From the garden._] Come quickly, Master Archie! Your tea is waiting on you. [_Brigid crosses the room and goes out through the folding doors. Bertha folds the slip into the waist of her dress and goes slowly towards the right. Near the door she turns and halts._] BERTHA. Tell me not to go and I will not. RICHARD. [_Without looking at her._] Decide yourself. BERTHA. Will you blame me then? RICHARD. [_Excitedly._] No, no! I will not blame you. You are free. I cannot blame you. [_Archie appears at the garden door._] BERTHA. I did not deceive you. [_She goes out through the folding doors. Richard remains standing at the table. Archie, when his mother has gone, runs down to Richard._] ARCHIE. [_Quickly._] Well, did you ask her? RICHARD. [_Starting._] What? ARCHIE. Can I go? RICHARD. Yes. ARCHIE. In the morning? She said yes? RICHARD. Yes. In the morning. [_He puts his arm round his son’s shoulders and looks down at him fondly._] Second Act _A room in Robert Hand’s cottage at Ranelagh. On the right, forward, a small black piano, on the rest of which is an open piece of music. Farther back a door leading to the street door. In the wall, at the back, folding doors, draped with dark curtains, leading to a bedroom. Near the piano a large table, on which is a tall oil lamp with a wide yellow shade. Chairs, upholstered, near this table. A small cardtable more forward. Against the back wall a bookcase. In the left wall, back, a window looking out into the garden, and, forward, a door and porch, also leading to the garden. Easychairs here and there. Plants in the porch and near the draped folding doors. On the walls are many framed black and white designs. In the right corner, back, a sideboard; and in the centre of the room, left of the table, a group consisting of a standing Turkish pipe, a low oil stove, which is not lit, and a rocking-chair. It is the evening of the same day._