FREDA. [Stolidly] I shall be very glad, Miss Dot. DOT. [Eyeing her dubiously] All right. Let's see--what did I want? JOAN has come in. JOAN. Look here, Dot; about the baby in this scene. I'm sure I ought to make more of it. DOT. Romantic little beast! [She plucks the footstool out by one ear, and holds it forth] Let's see you try! JOAN. [Recoiling] But, Dot, what are we really going to have for the baby? I can't rehearse with that thing. Can't you suggest something, Freda? FREDA. Borrow a real one, Miss Joan. There are some that don't count much. JOAN. Freda, how horrible! DOT. [Dropping the footstool back into the basket] You'll just put up with what you're given. Then as CHRISTINE and MABEL LANFARNE Come in, FREDA turns abruptly and goes out. DOT. Buck up! Where are Bill and Harold? [To JOAN] Go and find them, mouse-cat. But BILL and HAROLD, followed by LATTER, are already in the doorway. They come in, and LATTER, stumbling over the waste-paper basket, takes it up to improve its position. DOT. Drop that cradle, John! [As he picks the footstool out of it] Leave the baby in! Now then! Bill, you enter there! [She points to the workroom door where BILL and MABEL range themselves close to the piano; while HAROLD goes to the window] John! get off the stage! Now then, "Eccles enters breathless, Esther and Polly rise." Wait a minute. I know now. [She opens the workroom door] Freda, I wanted a bandbox. HAROLD. [Cheerfully] I hate beginning to rehearse, you know, you feel such a fool. DOT. [With her bandbox-gloomily] You'll feel more of a fool when you have begun. [To BILL, who is staring into the workroom] Shut the door. Now. [BILL shuts the door.] LATTER. [Advancing] Look here! I want to clear up a point of psychology before we start. DOT. Good Lord! LATTER. When I bring in the milk--ought I to bring it in seriously-- as if I were accustomed--I mean, I maintain that if I'm---- JOAN. Oh! John, but I don't think it's meant that you should---- DOT. Shut up! Go back, John! Blow the milk! Begin, begin, begin! Bill! LATTER. [Turning round and again advancing] But I think you underrate the importance of my entrance altogether. MABEL. Oh! no, Mr. Latter! LATTER. I don't in the least want to destroy the balance of the scene, but I do want to be clear about the spirit. What is the spirit? DOT. [With gloom] Rollicking! LATTER. Well, I don't think so. We shall run a great risk, with this play, if we rollick. DOT. Shall we? Now look here----! MABEL. [Softly to BILL] Mr. Cheshire! BILL. [Desperately] Let's get on! DOT. [Waving LATTER back] Begin, begin! At last! [But JACKSON has came in.] JACKSON. [To CHRISTINE] Studdenham says, Mm, if the young ladies want to see the spaniel pups, he's brought 'em round. JOAN. [Starting up] Oh! come 'on, John! [She flies towards the door, followed by LATTER.]