LUCY. Jack Dorvaston! (_he looks bewildered_) Don't you mind what I say; go and fetch my orchid. (_turns him round and pushes him away. He pauses, rubs his head reflectively, and at last strolls off_ R. LUCY _goes over to the tree and sits for a moment in thought. She suddenly remembers the letter in tree, and jumps on seat to get it._ CAROLINE _has come out, bringing with her two pudding basins which she places on the seat under the garden window; she comes down to table_ R. _to take up the newspaper, she catches sight of_ LUCY _who is trying to get the letter out of cavity_) CAR. (_coming_ C.) Shall I do that? LUCY. Oh, Cook, is that you? (_turning quickly_) You startled me. CAR. Did I? I'm sorry. LUCY. What was it you said? CAR. I offered to get your letter for you. I have a longer reach. LUCY. What letter? (_jumps down_) CAR. The latest one from Mr. Thorsby. LUCY. Cook! How dare you? CAR. I'm not naturally timid. LUCY. You are excessively impertinent. CAR. Am I? Very likely. But as that is your opinion, I'll chance a rather rude question--When are you going to bolt with Mr. Thorsby? LUCY. What do you mean? I'm foolish to listen to you at all. I shall go to my uncle and aunt and tell them what you've just said. (_comes close to_ COOK, _then wavers and takes a step back_) CAR. (_pause_) If I am mistaken about you and Mr. Thorsby, you would be quite right to tell them. Am I mistaken? (LUCY _tries to brave her, but her head droops_) Quite so! Then I think I would get the compromising letter out of the tree and say no more about it--unless you'll let _me_ do it. (_makes a movement to get letter_) LUCY. Oh, no! (_she jumps hastily on seat and gets letter_) There! I don't care if you _do_ know. Anybody may know after to-morrow. CAR. So it's to be to-morrow? LUCY. (_jumps down_) Yes, it is. I am bound to trust you--I can't help myself; so if you choose to give the whole thing away, you can. CAR. I shan't do that. On the contrary, I should like to do any little thing I could to help you. (LUCY _looks in wonder_) LUCY. Thank you. (_slight pause; sits_) How did you find out--about--us? (_looking at_ COOK) CAR. (_goes up a step_) Two or three Sundays ago--I was coming home about ten in the evening--it was my Sunday out--and as I came round the corner, you and Mr. Thorsby were outside the gate. LUCY. Oh! (_her eyes drop_) CAR. You were supposed to be spending the evening with your friend Mrs. Bronson, if you remember? LUCY. Yes. CAR. You didn't hear me coming and Mr. Thorsby said good-night to you. LUCY. Oh! CAR. He said it--very thoroughly. LUCY. Yes--I believe he did. CAR. That was how I found out. LUCY. (_after slight pause_) How funny it seems to be talking to you about it all. What did you think--when you saw--what you saw? CAR. I was rather amused. LUCY. What did you think of _me_? CAR. Need we go into that? LUCY. I should like you to say.