[_Jane enters down the stairs and into the room._ JUDGE (_looks at her_) Well, Jane? JANE No change. It’s--it’s pitiful, to see her like that. [_Sadie sobs and covers her face._ HENRY It’s best we should try to bear this without any fuss, she’d ’a’ wanted it that way. SADIE She didn’t even want me to cry when poor Will died, but I did; and somehow I don’t know but it made things easier. HENRY When father died she didn’t shed a tear; she’s been a strong woman, always. [_The early fall twilight has come on and the stage is rather dim, the hall at R. is in deep shadow, at the end of Henry’s speech the outside door supposedly out at R. is open, then shut rather violently._ ELLA (_startled_) Someone’s come in. SADIE Nobody’s got any right---- [_She rises as some one is heard coming along the hall._ HENRY (_sternly_) Who’s that out there? Who is it? ORIN Mum! Who is it! [_He clings to his mother afraid, as all turn to the door, and Ben Jordan steps into the room and faces them with a smile of reckless contempt. Ben is the black sheep of the Jordan family, years younger than any of the others, a wild, selfish, arrogant fellow, handsome but sulky and defiant. His clothes are cheap and dirty and he is rather pale and looks dissipated. He doesn’t speak but stands openly sneering at their look of astonishment._ JANE (_quietly_) I’m glad you’ve come, Ben. BEN (_contemptuously_) _You_ are? JANE Yes, your mother’s awful sick. BEN She’s alive? JANE Yes. BEN Well--(_He looks contemptuously about_) Nobody missin’. The Jordans are gathered again, handkerchiefs and all. HENRY You’ll be arrested soon as folks know you’ve come. BEN (_scornfully_) And I suppose you wouldn’t bail me out, would you, Henry? HENRY (_simply_) No, I wouldn’t. BEN God! You’re still the same, all of you. You stink of the Ark, the whole tribe. It takes more than a few Edisons to change the Jordans! ELLA How’d you get here? How’d you know about mother? BEN (_nods at Jane_) She sent me word, to Bangor. SADIE (_to Jane_) How’d you get to know where he was? JANE (_quietly_) I knew. HENRY How’d you come; you don’t look like you had much money? BEN She sent it. (_He nods toward Jane_) God knows, it wasn’t much. ELLA (_to Jane_) Did mother tell you to----? BEN Of course she did! JANE (_quietly_) No, she didn’t. HENRY You sent your own money? JANE Yes, as he said it wasn’t much, but I didn’t have much. BEN (_astonished_) Why did you do it? JANE I knew she was going to die; twice I asked her if she wanted to see you, and she said no---- HENRY And yet you sent for him? JANE Yes. HENRY Why? JANE He was the one she really wanted. I thought she’d die happier seeing him. ELLA You took a lot on yourself, didn’t you? JANE