MRS. KNOWLE (turning to JANE).  You’ll remember, Jane?

JANE (smiling).  Yes, Aunt Mary.

MRS. KNOWLE.  That’s a good girl.

    [She goes out.

MR. KNOWLE.  Ah! . . .  Your aunt wasn’t very lucid, Jane.  Which one of you is it who is going to marry the gentleman?

JANE.  Don’t be so absurd, Uncle Henry.

MR. KNOWLE (taking out his catalogue again).  Perhaps he would be interested in Lot 29. (BOBBY comes in through the windows.) Ah, here’s Bobby.  Bobby, they tell me that you think of setting up house.

BOBBY (looking quickly at JANE).  Who told you that?

MR. KNOWLE.  Now, starting with two hip-baths and a stuffed crocodile for nine shillings and sixpence, and working up to twelve aspidistras, a towel-horse and “The Maiden’s Prayer” for eight shillings, you practically have the spare room furnished for seventeen and six.  But perhaps I had better leave the catalogue with you. (He presses it into the bewildered BOBBY’S hands) I must go and tidy myself up.  Somebody is coming to propose to me this afternoon.

    [He hurries out.

(BOBBY looks after him blankly, and then turns to JANE.)

BOBBY.  I say, what’s happened?

JANE.  Happened?

BOBBY.  Yes, why did he say that about my setting up house?

JANE.  I think he was just being funny.  He is sometimes, you know.

BOBBY.  You don’t think he guessed——­

JANE.  Guessed what?  About you and Melisande?

BOBBY.  I say, shut up, Jane.  I thought we agreed not to say anything more about that.

JANE.  But what else could he have guessed?

BOBBY. You know well enough.

JANE (shaking her head).  No, I don’t.

BOBBY.  I told you this morning.

JANE.  What did you tell me?

BOBBY. You know.

JANE.  No, I don’t.

BOBBY.  Yes, you do.

JANE.  No, I don’t.

BOBBY (coming closer).  All right, shall I tell you again?

JANE (edging away).  I don’t want to hear it.

BOBBY.  How do you know you don’t want to hear it, if you don’t know what it is?

JANE.  I can guess what it is.

BOBBY.  There you are!

JANE.  It’s what you say to everybody, isn’t it?

BOBBY (loftily).  If you want to know, Miss Bagot, I have only said it to one other person in my life, and that was in mistake for you.

JANE (coldly).  Melisande and I are not very much alike, Mr. Coote.

BOBBY.  No.  You’re much prettier.

JANE (turning her head away).  You don’t really think so.  Anyhow, it isn’t true.

BOBBY.  It is true, Jane.  I swear it.

JANE.  Well, you didn’t think so yesterday.

BOBBY.  Why do you keep talking about yesterday?  I’m talking about to-day.

JANE.  A girl has her pride, Bobby.