[_Seemingly observing MADISON for the first time during the evening._] Why, heighyo, Madison. I bin lookin’ fer you dis very evenin’. Whah you bin? MADISON Bin home. WILLIAMS Sho’ly not, Madison, sho’ly not all evenin’? Has you? MADISON Yes. WILLIAMS Well, ain’ dat de whu’lygig? I wuz lookin’ fer you at Pratt’s sto’ at eight o’clock an’ dey say you jes’ lef’ dah. You wuz dah, weren’t you? MADISON No, suh. WILLIAMS Well, dere I am fool agin. An’ who you think done fool me? MADISON Dunno. WILLIAMS Well, suh, ’tweren’t no one but— [_He pauses a moment._] Wilson Byrd. LUCY Byrd! [_Springing to her feet with the shock._] WILLIAMS [_After watching the two a moment._] So you ain’ got de money no mo’, is you? [_They are speechless before him._] I knows you ain’ ’ca’se I knows who _has_ got hit. MADISON [_Involuntarily._] Who? WILLIAMS I has. [_He observes them and then chuckles softly._] I has de money an’ de bargum’s closed, fer de goods is bin delivered an’ dey’re right in dis room in dat corner. One guitar at eight hunderd dollahs. Insterments comes higher’n what dey did once but you would have it an’ now you got it an’ everybody’s fixed. MADISON [_Groaning and bending over the table._] Oh! WILLIAMS Yassuh, de man what buys guitars at dat price su’tinly plays on de golden strings. Eight hunderd fer one guitar makes ’m mighty near twenty thousand dollehs er dozen. De cos’ er livin’ is shore gone up but ef you mus’ you mus’. MADISON Oh! WILLIAMS Well, I cain’ stay heah, I got er be amblin’ on. I much erblige ter you to mek youah plans to move out er heah fo’ I got ter sell de house befo’ sundown. Well, so long, an’ I hopes you gits all de good er youah high price music. [_He turns again with his feeble old man’s step toward the doorway, putting on his hat._] I wish y’all good evenin’. MADISON [_Moving toward him with the threatening determination of despair._] Say, I’ve got to have dat money. I sees red. I’m gone bad an’ I’ll kill befo’ I’ll lose hit. [_WILLIAMS suddenly turns with a swiftness and agility astounding in so old a man. Starting forward he confronts MADISON with such dominance and fire that he seems suddenly to tower._] WILLIAMS _You_ kill _me_! _You_ tek money away from _me_! Why, you po’ grain er chaff, you don’ know me. I’m a king in my own right. I got ways an’ means er pertecktin’ myse’f dat you don’ even dream on an’ I don’ need to lay a fingeh on you to do hit. Furdermo’ I could brain you wif dis stick but ef you cross me I won’ be dat easy on you. Ef you don’ wan’ wuss’n dat don’ cross me no furder er youah troubles’ll begin fer fa’r. LUCY Oh, please don’ lay nothin’ on him. WILLIAMS