_Ger._ Who told you? _Mrs. C._ You don't mean it's true? _Ger._ Quite true, aunt. _Mrs. C._ Really, Arthur, you are more of a scatterbrain than I took you for! _Ger._ Don't say that, aunt. I only take after my father. _Mrs. C._ Don't talk to me of your father! I have no patience with him. A careless hard-hearted fellow--not worthy the name of a father! (_She glares at_ SIR WALTER.) _Ger._ You may go, William. (COL. G. _retires slowly_.) _Ger._ Aunt, you have been a mother to me; but were you really my mother, I must not listen to such words of my father. He has good reasons for what he does, though I admit there is something in it we don't understand. (_Aside_.) If I could but understand how Constance-- _Mrs. C._ What do you say? What was that about Constance? _Ger._ Oh, nothing, aunt. I was only thinking how difficult it is to understand people. _Mrs. C._ If you mean Constance, I agree with you. She is a most provoking girl. _Ger._ (_smiling_) I am sorry to hear that, aunt. _Mrs. C._ I'm very glad you were never so silly as take a fancy to the girl. She would have led you a pretty dance! If you saw how she treats that unfortunate Waterfield! But what's bred in the bone won't out of the flesh. _Ger._ There's nothing bred in her I would have out, aunt. _Mrs. C._ Perhaps she originated her vulgarity. That is a shade worse. _Ger. Vulgarity_, aunt! I cannot remember the meaning of the word when I think of _her_. _Mrs. C._ If you choose to insult me, Arthur-- _Exit_. _Ger._ It is high time I were gone! If I should be called in now to settle matters between--William! William!--William! _Enter_ COL. G. _Ger._ To-morrow, William. Not a word. If you will go with me, I shall be glad. If you will not, I shall go without you. _Exit_. _Col. G._ Yes, sir.--I wish Warren were here with the old man. I don't know what to do till he comes. _Enter_ CONSTANCE. _Con._ I thought my aunt was here, William. _Col. G._ No, miss. She was here, but she's gone again. _Con._ Could I see Mr. Gervaise for a moment? _Col. G._ Certainly, miss. I'll tell him. _Con._ Is he still determined on going, William? _Col. G._ Yes, miss;--to-morrow, he says. _Con._ To-morrow! _Col. G._ Yes, miss. I think he means to start for Dover in the morning. _Con._ What am I to do? _Col. G._ What's the matter, miss? _Con._ What _can_ I do? I know he is angry with me. I don't quite know why. I wish I had never--I can't help it now. My heart will break. (_Weeps_.) _Col. G._ Don't let him go to Dover to-morrow, miss. _Con._ He would have listened to me once. He won't now. It's all so different! Everything has gone wrong somehow. _Col. G._ Do try to keep him from going, miss. _Con._ He would but think me forward. I could bear anything better than have him think ill of me. _Col. G._ No fear of that, miss. The danger is all the other way. _Con._ What other way, William? _Col. G._ He thinks you don't care a bit about him.