That’s much better, Sarah. (_Gazing in admiration at the fossil._) Wonderful specimen--wonderful! (ROBERT HOOD _enters. He is a well set-up, attractive young man about thirty. As he glances impatiently at his watch, it is evident he is ill at ease and under the stress of an unusual emotion. Though he carries a Museum catalogue it is soon apparent he has come for a rendezvous._ SARAH _soon disappears from view--scrubbing_.) HOOD I beg your pardon. Is this where the Brontosaurus lives? PROFESSOR Yes. (_Proudly_) This is the Brontosaurus. HOOD (_Indifferently_) Oh, is it? Thanks. PROFESSOR Are you interested in fossils? HOOD Fossils?--Oh, yes; but only the living ones. PROFESSOR Oh, then you’ve come to see the Hoatzins? HOOD (_Impatiently_) Not especially. PROFESSOR They’re in the ornithological section. Curious, isn’t it, when people think fossils are so remote, that to-day in the thorn bushes along the Berbice River there should be a small living bird who swims, creeps, climbs, dives and can duplicate within a few minutes the processes of evolution through the centuries. Mr. Beebe calls them “living fossils”; so when you said.... HOOD (_Again looking at his watch_) It’s very interesting. PROFESSOR Their wing formation somewhat resembles the Archæopteryx. We have a cast of the Solenhofen specimen, if you.... HOOD I have a catalogue. I’d like to study them myself, quietly at first, if you don’t mind. (_He sits down on the bench at back and opens the catalogue. The_ PROFESSOR _is offended, gives him a look and goes out. The minute he has gone_, HOOD _arises, takes several steps about as though looking for someone_. SARAH _has entered with her pail and watches him. She stands there, a worn and abject figure._ HOOD _takes out his watch again_.) SARAH I beg ye pardon? HOOD (_Startled a moment_) Eh? SARAH Do ye be havin’ the toime about ye? HOOD My watch says four. But I think it must be fast. SARAH (_As she wearily crosses_) Thank ye, sir. HOOD (_A bit anxiously_) When does the Museum close? SARAH For ye or for me? HOOD Why, for me; of course. SARAH Ye’ll hear the bell in a half-hour; it’s not long after that I’ll be a-pullin’ up these shades. HOOD Thanks. SARAH (_Pointedly as she begins to wash up his footsteps_) If ye need more toime to _look_ at the animals ye may be doin’ it, as the Professor is expectin’ a whole regiment of soldiers. HOOD (_Vexed_) Coming _here_? I thought nobody ever came here? SARAH Ye mustn’t be surprised at anythin’ in a museum. All the strange animals ain’t behind the railin’s. (_She gives him a knowing look and finally goes out of sight, mopping down the aisle. He takes a step impatiently and then sits in back and opens catalogue aimlessly as he sees_ MRS. CORNELIUS VAN DYKE _and_ MRS. JAMES MORROW _enter from back. They do not notice him at first._