MRS. DE MULLIN Hush, hush, Janet. Here is Hester. Is that you, Hester? Have you come from church? HESTER Yes, mother. _[She comes down, her face looking pale and drawn, and stands by her mother._ MRS. DE MULLIN You’re very late, dear. HESTER A little, I stayed on after service was over. MRS. CLOUSTON How very eccentric of you! HESTER _(quietly)_ I suppose saying one’s prayers does seem eccentric to you, Aunt Harriet? MRS. CLOUSTON My dear Hester, considering you’d only just finished _one_ service... JANET _(who has not noticed the look on her sister’s face)_ Well, Aunt Harriet, who was right? MRS. DE MULLIN Hush, Janet! JANET _(gaily)_ My dear mother, what on earth is there to “hush” about? And what on earth is there to keep Hester in church half an hour after service is over, if it’s not what I told you? HESTER What do you mean? JANET Nothing, dear. Come and give me a kiss. [_Pulling her towards her._ HESTER {repulsing her roughly) I won’t. Leave me alone, Janet. What has she been saying about me, mother? I insist on knowing. MRS. DE MULLIN Nothing, dear. Only some nonsense about you and Mr. Brown. Janet is always talking nonsense. JANET Yes, Hester. About you and Mr. Brown. _Your_ Mr. Brown. Confess he has asked you to marry him as I said? HESTER _(slowly)_ Mr. Brown is engaged to be married to Agatha Bulstead. He told me so this evening after service. JANET He told you! HESTER Yes. He asked me to congratulate him. JANET The little wretch! MRS. DE MULLIN To Agatha Bulstead? That’s the plain one, isn’t it? HESTER The third one. Yes. JANET The plain one! Good heavens, it oughtn’t to be allowed. The children will be little monsters. MRS. CLOUSTON So that’s why you were so long at church? HESTER Yes. I was praying that they might be happy. JANET Poor Hester! MRS. DE MULLIN Are you disappointed, dear? HESTER I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind, mother. MRS. DE MULLIN Your father would never have given his consent. HESTER So Mr. Brown said. JANET The little _worm_. MRS. DE MULLIN My dear! JANET Well, mother, isn’t it too contemptible? DE MULLIN I’m bound to say Mr. Brown seems to have behaved in a very fitting manner. JANET You think so, father? DE MULLIN Certainly. He saw what my objections would be and recognized that they were reasonable. Nothing could be more proper. JANET Well, father. I don’t know what you do want. Ten minutes ago you were supposed to be wanting a grandson to adopt. Here’s Hester going the right way to provide one, and you don’t like that either. HESTER What is all this about, father? What have you all been discussing while I’ve been out? MRS. DE MULLIN It was nothing about you, Hester. HESTER I’m not sure of that, mother. Anyhow I should like to hear what it was. MRS. CLOUSTON Hester, that is not at all a proper tone to use in speaking to your mother.