JULIA. Will you be good to me if I journey with you?
CHRIS. Ah, "tis not likely as I"ll ever fail you, mistress.
JULIA. Do not call me mistress any longer, Chris, my name is Julia.
CHRIS. "Tis a well-sounding name, and one as runs easy as clear water upon the tongue.
JULIA. Tansie, how will it be for me to go with you?
TANSIE. "Twill be well enough with the spirit of you I don"t doubt, but how"ll it be with the fine clothes what you have on?
NAT. [Suddenly looking up.] Why, there"s Susan coming.
JULIA. [Looking in the same direction.] So that is Susan?
TANSIE. I count as her has had a smartish job to get away from th"
old missis so early in the day.
CHRIS. "Tis a rare old she cat, and handy with the claw"s of her, Susan"s missis.
[SUSAN comes shyly forward.
NAT. Come you here, Susan, and sit along of we.
JULIA. Yes, sit down with us in this cool shade, Susan. You look warm from running.
SUSAN. O, I didn"t know you was here, Mistress Julia.
JULIA. Well, Susan, and so you live at Road Farm. Are you happy there?
SUSAN. I should be if "twern"t for mistress.
JULIA. No mistress could speak harshly to you, Susan--you are so young and pretty.
SUSAN. Ah, but mistress takes no account of aught but the work you does, and the tongue of her be wonderful lashing.
JULIA. Then how comes it that you have got away to the forest so early on a week day?
SUSAN. "Tis that mistress be powerful took up with sommat else this afternoon, and so I was able to run out for a while and her didn"t notice me.
TANSIE. Why Su, what"s going on up at the farm so particular to-day?
SUSAN. "Tis courting.
ALL. Courting?
SUSAN. Yes. That "tis. "Tis our Master William what"s dressed up in his Sunday clothes and gone a-courting with a basket of green stuff on his arm big enough to fill the market, very nigh.
CHRIS. Well, well, who"d have thought he had it in him?
NAT. He"s a gentleman what"s not cut out for courting, to my mind.
SUSAN. Indeed he isn"t, Nat. And however the mistress got him dressed and set off on that business, I don"t know.
JULIA. But you have not told us who the lady is, Susan.
SUSAN. [Suddenly very embarra.s.sed.] I--I--don"t think as I do rightly know who "tis, mistress.
CHRIS. Why, look you, Susan, you"ll have to take and hide yourself if you don"t want for them to know as you be got along of we.
SUSAN. What"s that, Chris?
CHRIS. [Pointing.] See there, that man of Master Gardner"s be a- coming along towards us fast. Look yonder -
SUSAN. O whatever shall I do? "Tis John, and surely he will tell of me when he gets back.
SAT. Come you off with me afore he do perceive you, Susan. I"ll take you where you shall bide hid from all the Johns in the world if you"ll but come along of me.
JULIA. That"s it. Take her off, Nat; take her, Tansie. And do you go along too, Chris, for I have a fancy to bide alone in the stillness of the wood for a while.
[SUSAN, TANSIE and NAT go out.
CHRIS. Be I to leave you too, Julia?
JULIA. [Slowly.] Only for a little moment, Chris; then you can come for me again. I would like to stay with myself in quiet for a while.
New thoughts have come into my mind and I cannot rightly understand what they do say to me, unless I hearken to them alone.
CHRIS. Then I"ll leave you, Julia. For things be stirring powerful in my mind too, and I"d give sommat for to come to an understanding with they. Ah, that I would.
[They look at one another in silence for a moment, then CHRIS slowly follows the others, leaving JULIA alone. JULIA sits alone in the wood. Presently she begins to sing.
JULIA. [Singing.]
I sowed the seeds of love, It was all in the Spring; In April, in May, and in June likewise When small birds they do sing.
[JOHN with a large basket on his arm comes up to her.
JOHN. A good day to you, mistress.
JULIA. Good afternoon.
JOHN. Now I count as you would like to know who "tis that"s made so bold in speaking to you, Mistress.
JULIA. Why, you"re Master Gardner"s farm hand, if I"m not mistaken.
JOHN. Ah, that"s right enough. And there be jobs as I wish Master William would get and do for hisself instead of putting them on I.
JULIA. Well, and how far may you be going this afternoon?