JEREMY. [Turning to ISABEL.] And you, wench?
ISABEL. [Faintly.] I"ve gone from the place where I was servant.
JEREMY. Then you"ll come along of me--the both of you.
ISABEL. [Shrinking.] O no--I couldn"t go among--among strangers.
JEREMY. I never takes no count of a female"s vapours. You"ll come along of me. You"ll curl the mistress"s hair and lace her gown and keep her tongue quiet--and you [turning to LUBIN] my man, will set the tables and wait upon the quality what we expect from Bristol town this dinner-time.
LUBIN. [Angrily.] I never waited on man nor woman in my life, and I"ll not start now.
JEREMY. You will. I"m not agoin" a half mile further this warm morning. Back to the Mill you goes along of me, the two of you.
MARY. [Looking fixedly at ISABEL.] This is a chance for you, my dear. You"ll not find a better.
JEREMY. Better? I count as you"ll not better this"n. Good money for your pains--victuals to stuff you proper, and cider, all you can drink on a summer"s day. I count you"ll not better that.
LUBIN. [As though to himself.] I could not go.
JEREMY. Some cattle want a lot of driving.
ISABEL. [Timidly to LUBIN.] If I go, could not you try and come along with me, master?
LUBIN. You"ll never have the heart to go through with it.
JEREMY. "Tis a fine fat heart as her has within of she. Don"t you go and put fancies into the head of her.
ISABEL. [To LUBIN.] I"ll go if so be as you"ll come along of me too.
[LUBIN bends his head and remains thinking deeply.
JEREMY. "Tis thirsty work this hiring of men and wenches--I"ll get me a drop of cider down at the Red Bull. Mayhap you"ll be ready time I"ve finished.
MARY. I"ll see that you"re not kept waiting, Jeremy.
JEREMY. [Turning back after he has started.] What be they called, Mary?
[MARY looks doubtfully towards LUBIN and ISABEL.
ISABEL. My name--they calls me Isabel.
JEREMY. [Turning to LUBIN.] And yourn?
LUBIN. [In confusion.] I don"t rightly recollect.
JEREMY. [Impa.s.sively.] "Tis of no account, us"ll call you William like the last one.
ISABEL. O, and couldn"t I be called like the last one too?
JEREMY. Then us"ll call you Lucy. And a rare bad s.l.u.t her was, and doubtless you"ll not prove much worser.
[He goes away.
MARY. This is your chance. A good chance too -
LUBIN. They"ll know the both of us. Love isn"t never quite so dead but what a sound in the speech or a movement of the hand will bring some breath to it again.
ISABEL. You"re right there, master--sommat"ll stir in the hearts of them when they sees we--and "tis from the door as us"ll be chased for masking on them like this.
MARY. But not before the seeds of love have done their work. Come, Isabel; come, Lubin--I will so dress you that you shall not be recognised.
[MARY goes indoors. ISABEL slowly rises and takes up her bundle.
LUBIN remains seated, looking gloomily before him.
ISABEL. Come, think what "twill feel to be along of our dear loves and look upon the forms of them and hear the notes of their voices once again.
LUBIN. That"s what I am a-thinking of. "Twill be hot iron drove right into the heart all the while. Ah, that"s about it.
ISABEL. I"ll gladly bear the pain.
LUBIN. [After a pause.] Then so will I. We"ll go.
[He raises his eyes to her face and then gets heavily up and follows her into the cottage.
ACT II.--Scene 1.
The living room at Daniel"s Mill. In the window ROSE-ANNA is seated awkwardly sewing some bright ribbons on to a muslin gown. KITTY is moving about rapidly dusting chairs and ornaments which are in disorder about the room and JOHN stands with his back to the grate gravely surveying them.
ROSE. [Petulantly.] Whatever shall we do, John! Me not dressed, everything no how, and them expected in less nor a half hour"s time
KITTY. There! I"ve finished a-dusting the chairs. Now I"ll set them in their places.
ROSE. No one is thinking of me! Who"s going to help me on with my gown and curl my hair like Robert was used to seeing me wear it at Aunt"s?
KITTY. Did you have it different down at Bristol, Rose?
ROSE. Of course I did. "Twouldn"t do to be countrified in the town.
JOHN. Your hair"s well enough like that. "Tisn"t of hair as anyone"ll be thinking when they comes in, but of victuals. And how we"re a-going to get the table and all fixed up in so short a time do fairly puzzle me.
KITTY. I"ll do the table.
ROSE. No. You"ve got to help me with my gown. O that was a good- for-nothing baggage, leaving us in the lurch!
JOHN. Well, I"ve done my best to get us out of the fix.