JOYCE. Faith will tell you when the others come. (_Dragging_ FAITH _back to_ C.)
FAITH. Look here, this isn"t a bit fair of you. Bobbie will never forgive me....
JOYCE. I can"t help Bobbie"s troubles--you should have thought of that before.
(_Enter_ SYLVIA _and_ OLIVER _from garden._)
OLIVER. What"s up?
JOYCE. The moment Bobbie comes, you shall know--yell for him, Oliver....
(FAITH _attempts to escape,_ SYLVIA _stops her._)
OLIVER (_goes to window and yells_). Bobb-ie! Hurry up, we want you.
BOBBIE (_off_). All right--coming....
(_They wait in silence_--JOYCE _still holds firmly on to_ FAITH"S _arm.
Enter_ BOBBIE _from garden--rather breathless. The positions are as follows:_--EVANGELINE _down_ R. SYLVIA R.C. _above Chesterfield._ BOBBIE _a little above_ SYLVIA _slightly on her_ L. FAITH C. JOYCE _on_ FAITH"S L. OLIVER _up_ L.)
BOBBIE. What"s the bother?
JOYCE. Now, Faith, tell them.
FAITH. I won"t.
JOYCE. Very well, I will--it"s most important--listen, all of you--Bobbie was flirting with Faith this afternoon, and he told her that Uncle had singled him out from us all to leave his money to....
BOBBIE. Oh, Faith, how could you. (FAITH _crosses to window_ L.)
SYLVIA (_judiciously_). Is this true, Bobbie?
BOBBIE (_miserably_). Yes, but I couldn"t help it....
SYLVIA. Of course you couldn"t. Don"t be silly--now _I"ll_ tell you something. Uncle said exactly the same thing to me.
EVERY ONE. What!
OLIVER. So he did to me, the dirty dog.
JOYCE. Yes, I guessed as much when Faith told me--he promised his whole fortune to me if I won prizes and things at school.
EVANGELINE. Well, I needn"t tell you that he said the same to me.
BOBBIE. What"s his game?
SYLVIA. Hadn"t we better ask him?
OLIVER. Yes, where is he?
EVANGELINE. Upstairs writing letters, washing and being ill.
SYLVIA. Run up and fetch him, Bobbie.
BOBBIE. All right.
(_Exit upstairs two at a time._)
OLIVER. I"d love to know what he"s up to.
JOYCE. You will in a minute.
EVANGELINE. I shouldn"t be too sure, if he"s deceived us once, he"ll probably try to do it again. I don"t feel that I can trust him at all now.
JOYCE. Look here, when he comes down, what are we to say to him--Oliver"d better do it all, he"s the eldest.
OLIVER (_comes down to table_). I"m hanged if I will.
SYLVIA. All right, dear, don"t get crusty before the time; I expect you"ll have full opportunities for that later. I"ll be spokesman.
EVANGELINE. All right.
(_Re-enter_ DANIEL, _followed by_ BOBBIE, _wiping his hands on a towel._ BOBBIE _goes_ R.)
DANIEL (C.). I feel a little like Lady Macbeth, but Bobbie wouldn"t let me dry properly. What on earth"s the matter?
{ We want to know.
EVERY ONE. { Look here, Uncle Daniel....
{ We want an explanation, Uncle Daniel.
DANIEL. You all appear to be perturbed about something.
BOBBIE. We are.
SYLVIA. Shut up, Bobbie, I"m spokesman.
DANIEL (_weakly_). Couldn"t it be some one else? Sylvia"s so firm with me.
SYLVIA. I think, uncle, that you occasionally need firmness. (_Coming down_ R. _by Chesterfield._)
DANIEL. We all do, it"s a weakness of the human race--lack of stamina--I have it at the moment. Please may I sit down?
OLIVER. Yes.
DANIEL (_sinking into arm-chair_). Thank you so much. (_Weakly._) I begin to feel sleepy. May I have perhaps--a small gla.s.s of water?
BOBBIE. All right--I"ll get it. (_He goes to sideboard._)