Hush! (_She has checked an impulse to rise and fly; and now, affecting carelessness, she brushes her left sleeve with her right hand, crosses her knees, swings her foot, whistles an operatic air and looks at the ceiling. Mrs. Briggs enters at the left, frowning. Jessie addresses her cheerfully._) Back again, Mamma? Where’s Lancelot? MRS. BRIGGS (_in an annoyed tone_) I don’t know. I thought you were going straight to your room. JESSIE Oh, I am. MRS. BRIGGS Have you just been sitting here alone? JESSIE Mrs. Curtis came back a minute ago looking for the child. MRS. BRIGGS Yes; I saw _her_. Wasn’t anyone else-- JESSIE (_carelessly_) Oh, yes; that Mr. Ingoldsby was here, too. MRS. BRIGGS He was? (_She looks at her watch and then toward the corridor on the left._) You told me you were very tired and were going straight to your room. JESSIE (_casually_) Oh, well, I feel rested now. MRS. BRIGGS You should lie down before dressing for dinner. JESSIE Why don’t _you_ do that, Mamma? You know how it brightens you up. MRS. BRIGGS (_frowning_) Brightens me up? Really! JESSIE Oh, I don’t mean like a _terribly_ aged person; but a nap every day’s a good thing for everybody. MRS. BRIGGS (_stiffly_) I _took_ a nap after lunch. Really, it’s time you went. JESSIE Oh, I’ll just sit around a while longer. I rather like to just sit around and do nothing, like this. MRS. BRIGGS You _said_ you were going, and you ought to do things when you say you’re going to do them. JESSIE But _why_? Why can’t I just sit around here a little longer if I want to? MRS. BRIGGS Because you said you-- JESSIE Oh, what if I did! Haven’t I got a right to change my mind? MRS. BRIGGS I insist on your lying down for half an hour before you dress for dinner. What makes you so obstinate about it? Have you any _reason_ for wishing not to do this simple thing? Is there anything you’re trying to conceal from me, Jessie? JESSIE (_rising hastily_) Certainly not! MRS. BRIGGS (_severely_) You haven’t any particular reason for staying here and not going to your room as you said you would? JESSIE No! MRS. BRIGGS Then-- JESSIE Oh, I’ll go; but I don’t understand why you make such a point of it! MRS. BRIGGS (_a little flustered_) A point of it? I? I’m not making a point of it! I don’t at all, except--except for your health. JESSIE (_going_) My _health_! (_She halts._) What nonsense! MRS. BRIGGS Your health is the only thing to consider. You’ve started; why don’t you _go_? JESSIE But what’s the _hurry_? MRS. BRIGGS Hurry? Oh, none! I just meant, as you _are_ going, why shouldn’t you _go_ and get it over? JESSIE What makes you so queer? MRS. BRIGGS (_with quiet severity_) Queer? You call your mother queer? It seems to me you’re the one that’s behaving queerly. Jessie, is there anything you’re trying to-- JESSIE