_Tho._ Aw dunnot like secrets, lad. What don yo mane? Ivvery body seems to mane something, and nobory to say it. _Bill._ Never you mind, daddy! "Bill's been.--All right." That's your ticket. I'm off. _Exit_. THOMAS _gets up, and walks about, murmuring to himself. A knock at the door_. _Tho._ Somebory after mo again! Aw'll geet eawt ov th' way. (_Goes behind the Psyche_.) _Enter_ WATERFIELD. _Wat_. Nobody here! I _am_ unlucky. "Not at home," said the rascal,--and grinned, by Jove! I'll be at the bottom of this. There's no harm in Gervaise. He's a decent fellow. (_Knocks at the door of_ GER.'S _room_.) I won't leave the place till I've set things right--not if I've got to give him a post-obit for five thousand--I won't!--Nobody there? (_Looks in_.) No. Then I'll go in and wait. _Exit_. _Tho._ (_peeping from behind the Psyche_). That's the villain! Lord o' mercy! that's the villain! If aw're as strung as aw'm owd, aw'd scrunch his yed--aw would! Aw'm sure it's th' mon. He kep eawt ov mo way--but aw seigh him once. O Lord, keep mo hands off ov him. Aw met kill him. Aw'm sartin sure ov him when aw see him. Aw'll not goo nigh him till somebory cooms--cep' he roons away. Aw'm noan fleyed ov him, but aw met not be able to keep mo howd ov him. Oh, mo Mattie! mo Mattie! to leave thi owd faither for sich a mak ov a mon as yon! But yere cooms somebory moor. (_Goes behind the Psyche_.) _Enter_ MRS. CLIFFORD. _Mrs. C._ No one here? She can never be in his room with him! (_Opens the door_.) Oh! Mr. Waterfield! You're here--are you? _Wat_. (_coming to the door_). Mrs. Clifford! This is indeed an unexpected pleasure! _Mrs. C._ Have you got Constance with you there? _Wat_. I've no such good fortune. _Mrs. C._ Where is she, then? _Wat_. At home, I presume. _Mrs. C._ Indeed she is not. I must speak to Arthur. _Wat_. He's not here. _Mrs. C._ Where's my--his man, then? _Wat_. Taken himself off to the public-house, I suppose. There's nobody about. Odd--ain't it? _Mrs. C._ I'll go and see. _Exit into the house_. _Wat_. What can be the row! there is some row. _Exit into the room_. _Enter_ GER., _supported by_ COL. G. _Col. G._ Thank God! Thank God! _Ger._ But where is she? I shall go mad if you've told me a lie. _Col. G._ I saw her, and sent a messenger after her. We shall have news of her presently. Do have a little patience, sir. _Get._ How can I have patience? I'm a brute--a mean, selfish devil! If that fellow Waterfield was to horse-whip me--I should let him. _Tho._ (_coming forward_). Theer wur that yung chap yere a while agoo, and he said aw wur to say to Maister William--what wur it aw're to say?--Yigh--it wur--"Bill's been. O'reet." _Col. G._ There, sir! I told you so. Do sit down. I'll go after her. _Ger._ I will. I will. Only make haste. (_Stands staring at the Psyche_.) _Tho._ Th' boy said he'd be yere direckly. _Col. G._ You sit down. I'll be with you presently.