DR. MASTERSON. And what did she say to that?
MRS. MASTERSON. She said that she"d take care of them, if I"d let her.
DR. MASTERSON. Why... that"s promising.
MRS. MASTERSON. So I thought... till I found she meant taking them off to the South Seas!
DR. MASTERSON. Oh!
MRS. MASTERSON. I thought I"d wait till to-night... after the dancing. You see, she"ll have met some company, and I thought she might be feeling more... more genial.
DR. MASTERSON. I understand. A good idea.
LEt.i.tIA. Miss Pilkington ought to put her in a good mood.
MRS. MASTERSON. She"s pa.s.sionately fond of fancy dancing, it seems. And Ethel"s been writing her about to-night, so she"s quite excited about it.
DR. MASTERSON. I see.
LEt.i.tIA. People are wildly jealous of us because we got Miss Pilkington to come here. Everybody"s talking about it.
MRS. MASTERSON. You haven"t heard any criticisms, I hope?
LEt.i.tIA. Nothing that amounts to anything.
MRS. MASTERSON. I wish I could feel comfortable about it. It seems so very daring. It"s been only seven months since the funeral. To be sure ... father and I hadn"t spoken for ten years.
DR. MASTERSON. And everybody knows the entertainment is for charity.
LEt.i.tIA. And we"ve only asked the very best people.
DR. MASTERSON. And the date was arranged over a year ago.
LEt.i.tIA. And it isn"t as if we were going to dance ourselves, mother. And then they are "Biblical Dances," too.
MRS. MASTERSON. I know-I know. But then, the world is so quick to gossip. They might say we were doing it because he left his fortune to a girl in the Cannibal Islands!
DR. MASTERSON. Perhaps it"s just as well the girl"s to be here.
MRS. MASTERSON. Yes, if we can keep her within bounds. I shall be on pins and needles till it"s over.
LEt.i.tIA. Such a white elephant in one"s home!
MRS. MASTERSON. And then the way Freddy and Ethel are behaving!
LEt.i.tIA. Freddy wanted to stay from college and Ethel from her music lesson-both of them to go and sit around in the stores while Oceana bought clothes!
DR. MASTERSON. Well, of all things!
MRS. MASTERSON. I hardly know Ethel any more!
LEt.i.tIA. And Freddy sits around and stares at her like a man out of his wits!
MRS. MASTERSON. That"ll be the next thing, I suppose... she"ll run off and marry him!
DR. MASTERSON. Well, mightn"t that be a good way to solve the problem? To keep the money in the family?
MRS. MASTERSON. Ouincy!
LEt.i.tIA. Besides-she mightn"t marry him.
MRS. MASTERSON. Let.i.tia!
LEt.i.tIA. Why not, mother?
MRS. MASTERSON. I"m sure, my child, you have no reason for saying anything like THAT.
LEt.i.tIA. I don"t trust the minx!
[A pause.]
DR. MASTERSON. Has Henry got home?
LEt.i.tIA. He"s probably there now.
MRS. MASTERSON. Is he coming here to dinner?
LEt.i.tIA. I"m not sure.
MRS. MASTERSON. You"d better take my advice and not let him.
LEt.i.tIA. Why not?
MRS. MASTERSON. Because, the first thing you know, we"ll have Henry in love with her, too.
LEt.i.tIA. [Horrified.] MOTHER!
MRS. MASTERSON. I mean it, my dear-quite seriously. What"s the meaning of all this discontent of Henry"s? I know him well enough.. . he"s just the man to be taken in by the tricks of such a woman! SHE"D give him plenty of outdoor exercise! SHE"D go live in the country with him!
LEt.i.tIA. [Springing up.] Mother! How horrible!
MRS. MASTERSON. Forewarned is forearmed, Let.i.tia. You listen to me, and let Henry see just as little of Anna Talbot as you can. And when he"s with her, you be there, too.
LEt.i.tIA. [In great agitation.] I"ll go home right now and see to him!
[Exit.]
DR. MASTERSON. [Sighs.] Oh, dear! And I was waiting for Henry to play billiards with!