She says we’re all to wait in here for Judge Bradford. SADIE What did she send for us for? ELLA I don’t know. EMMA Why didn’t you ask her? ELLA I did, and she most bit my head off. BEN She most bites mine off every time I see her. I must say she’s changed, Jane has; she ain’t the same girl at all she was a few weeks ago. NETTIE She’s actin’ just awful, especially to me! SADIE Of course, I’d be the last one to say anything against her, but---- BEN But nothin’! There ain’t one of you here fit to tie her shoes! SADIE _We_ ain’t? BEN And I ain’t! The only difference between us is I ain’t worth much and I know it, and you ain’t worth nothin’ and you don’t. EMMA I guess you’d better be careful how you talk! NETTIE If anybody says anything about Jane lately, that’s the way he always talks! The worse she treats him the better he seems to like it. SADIE Well, I don’t know as I’m surprised more about his insultin’ the rest of us, but it’s sort of comical his talkin’ that way about you, Nettie. EMMA Nettie! What’s Nettie got to do with him? SADIE Oh! Excuse me! I didn’t know ’twas supposed to be a secret. EMMA What is? SADIE About the way those two have been carryin’ on together! HENRY What! ELLA Ben and Nettie! NETTIE (_afraid_) Stop her, Ben, can’t you? BEN If I knew a way to stop women like her I’d patent it and get rich! EMMA (_sternly_) Him and Nettie? SADIE They passed my house together _once_ a week ago Wednesday, _once_ the Tuesday before that, and _twice_ the Sunday after New Year’s. HENRY Together! SADIE And Eben Tilden’s boy told Abbie Palsey that Tilly Hickson heard Aaron Hamlin say he’d seen ’em together at the picture show! HENRY (_to Ben_) Is it true? EMMA You’ve been with him after all I told you! BEN It ain’t going to hurt her none just to talk to me, is it? EMMA Them that touches pitch gets defiled! HENRY (_to Nettie_) I want you to tell me everything that’s took place between you two. SADIE Wait! HENRY What? SADIE Orin! Leave the room! NETTIE He don’t have to leave the room. I don’t care who knows what happened! HENRY Go on then. NETTIE Well--Ben and I--We--Just for a few days--anyway, it was all his fault. BEN She threw me down because I was going to prison. NETTIE He said he’d get out of it somehow, but he can’t, and I just won’t have folks laughing at me! BEN It’s all right, it never meant nothin’ to her, and I guess it didn’t mean much to me. It’s just as well it’s over. NETTIE It’s a whole lot better. HENRY Well--what’s passed is passed. Folks that plant the wind reap the whirlwind! There’s no use cryin’ over spilled milk. ORIN Say, Mum! What do you s’pose Uncle Henry thinks he means when he says things? HENRY Somehow I can’t help wishin’ you was my son for just about five minutes. [_Hannah and Judge Bradford enter._ HANNAH