(_CLARE enters, followed by MICHAEL._) CLARE. He never turned up! MRS. O’FARREL. Nonsense! He wired from Southampton that—— MICHAEL. S-s-sh! You might wake Patricia! MRS. O’FARREL. Oh, confound Patricia! CLARE. But—— (_Suddenly a saucer falls from above on to the middle of the platform. They all are startled and PATRICIA sits up with a cry._) DEAN. Dear me! MRS. O’FARREL. Well, I never! MICHAEL. What on earth! CLARE. There’s some one up the tree! MRS. O’FARREL. The squirrel.... (_Looks at the DEAN._) DEAN. Most awkward.... MICHAEL. Don’t be alarmed, Patricia. (_Sternly._) Who are you, sir? What are you doing there? Come down at once.... Do you hear me, sir? BILL. (_Still invisible to the audience._) All right—I’m coming.... CLARE. There he is, Mike! I see his leg! MRS. O’FARREL. (_To herself._) Mike? Hm! MICHAEL. Bill! BILL. (_From aloft._) Hullo! (_Astonished exclamations of “What!” and “Bill!”_) MRS. O’FARREL. Bill? (_BILL comes into sight descending the trunk._) Bill! (_BILL reaches terra firma. He smiles, embarrassed, from one person to the other._) BILL. How are you, mother? How-de-do, Mr. Dean? How-de-do, Miss Lesley? How’s yourself, Michael? LADY PATRICIA. And have you no greeting for poor me, Cousin Bill? BILL. Oh, I say, I’m awfully sorry! How-de-do, Cousin Patricia? MRS. O’FARREL. But what on earth were you doing up the tree? BILL. Birds’-nesting. MRS. O’FARREL, MICHAEL, DEAN. Birds’-nesting? CLARE. (_Gravely._) And you took a saucer up with you to put the eggs in? BILL. Oh, did I? CLARE. Of course. It’s the usual thing to do when you go birds’-nesting. Didn’t you always take a saucer with you as a boy, Mr. Cosway? MICHAEL. I can’t say I remember doing so. CLARE. So long ago that you’ve forgotten? I’ve read somewhere that when they look for ostrich-eggs in America they take soup-tureens. BILL. I say ...! MICHAEL. There are no ostriches in America. CLARE. Then I wonder why they look for ostrich-eggs. MRS. O’FARREL. (_Laughing._) Do stop talking nonsense, Clare!... Really, Bill, I’m curious to know quite a lot of things. Why did you take an earlier train? Why did you come here? Why did you climb up the tree with a saucer? Why did you let Michael and Miss Lesley fetch you at the station? And why did you remain in the tree while the Dean and I—er—— DEAN. Talked over old times together. MRS. O’FARREL. Talked over old times together. It’s all rather mysterious. DEAN. Unusual.... BILL. I dropped a rotten branch. MRS. O’FARREL. Quite so. And the Dean thought a squirrel had done it. BILL. Oh yes, you caught sight of my tail! (_He goes into a shout of lonely laughter._) MRS. O’FARREL. That’s all very well. But what was your idea in playing such a prank? It seems to me rather childish. DEAN. Primitive.... MICHAEL. Very.