[GEORGE _has made no answer to_ JOAN’S _bow_. _He quietly ignores it_, _and takes up his pail of water_. _As he does so he catches sight of_ CLARA, _who has been watching the whole scene from the corner where she is partly concealed_. _He looks at her for one moment_, _and then sets the bucket down again_. THOMAS. Why, George—I guess as it’s took you as it took me, us didn’t think how ’twould appear when Miss Clara was growed up. GEORGE. [_Quietly_.] No, us did not, master. [_He carries his pail into the back kitchen as_ EMILY _and the children come in_. EMILY. What’s all this to-do in my kitchen, I should like to know? THOMAS. Us did but come up for to—to give a handshake to sister Clara, like. EMILY. Well, now you can go off back to work again. And you—[_turning to_ JOAN]—now that you’ve finished curling of your hair and dressing of yourself up, you can go and sit down in the best parlour along with your fancy gentlemen. MILES. [_Offering his arm to_ JOAN.] It will be my sweet pleasure to conduct Missy to the parlour. [LUKE _offers his arm on the other side_, _and_ JOAN _moves off with both the young men_. JOAN. [_As she goes_.] Indeed, I shall be glad to rest on a comfortable couch. I’m dead tired of the country air already. ROBIN. [_Calling after her_.] You’ll not go off to sleep afore the chicken and sparrow grass is ate, will you, Aunt? [MILES, LUKE _and_ JOAN _having gone out_, EMILY _begins to bang the chairs back in their places and to arrange the room_, _watched by the two children_. CLARA, _who has remained half hidden by the door_, _now goes quietly upstairs_. EMILY. [_Calling_.] Here, George, Mag. [GEORGE _comes in_. EMILY. Well, George, ’tisn’t much worse nor I expected. JESSIE. I don’t like Aunt Clara. ROBIN. I hates her very much. GEORGE. [_Slowly_.] And I don’t seem to fancy her neither. [_Curtain_.] ACT III.—Scene 1. _Two days have passed by_. _It is morning_. CLARA, _wearing an apron and a muslin cap on her head_, _sits by the kitchen table mending a lace handkerchief_. MAGGIE, _who is dusting the plates on the dressers_, _pauses to watch her_. MAGGIE. I’d sooner sweep the cow sheds out and that I would, nor have to set at such a niggly piece of sewing work as you. CLARA. I cannot do it quickly, it is so fine. MAGGIE. I count ’tis very nigh as bad as the treadmills, serving a young miss such as yourn be. CLARA. What makes you say that, Maggie? MAGGIE. Missis be very high in her ways and powerful sharp in the tongue, but I declare as your young lady will be worser nor missis when she do come to that age. CLARA. Why do you think this, Mag?