HORACE [almost choked with gratitude].  Oh!

[He kisses her hand.]

[HAWCASTLE and LADY CREECH enter from the garden, LADY CREECH talking excitedly.]

[ALMERIC enters through the gates.]

LADY CREECH.  I tell you I couldn’t hear a word they said, they mumbled their words so.  But upon my soul, Hawcastle, if I couldn’t hear, didn’t I see enough?

HAWCASTLE.  Upon my soul, I believe you did.

ALMERIC.  Quite a family pow-wow you’re havin’.

HAWCASTLE.  Is there anything unusual in the village?

ALMERIC.  Ra-ther!  Carabiniere all over the shop—­still huntin’ that bandit feller.

LADY CREECH.  Don’t mumble your words!

ALMERIC [shouting].  Lookin’ for a bally bandit.

[She screams faintly.]

HAWCASTLE.  Be quiet!

ALMERIC.  He’s still in this neighborhood, they think.

LADY CREECH [to HAWCASTLE].  What did I tell you?  Now, how long—­

HAWCASTLE.  You shall not repeat one word of what you saw.  Almeric, find your betrothed and ask her to come here.

ALMERIC.  Rumbo!  I don’t mind, pater!

[Exit into the hotel.]

HORACE.  What’s the row?

HAWCASTLE.  My dear young man, I congratulate you that you and your sister need no longer submit to an odious dictation.

[Enter PIKE briskly from the hotel.]

PIKE [as he enters, genially].  Looks to me like it was going to clear up cold.

[LADY CREECH haughtily stalks off into the garden.]

HAWCASTLE [pleasantly].  Good-afternoon, Mr. Pike.

PIKE [going to the motor].  Howdy!

[Begins touching different parts of the engine.]

[MADAME DE CHAMPIGNY and HORACE haughtily follow LADY CREECH.]

HAWCASTLE [suavely, to PIKE].  Mr. Pike, it is an immense pity that there should have been any misunderstanding in the matter of your ward’s betrothal.

PIKE [looking up for a moment, mildly].  Oh, I wouldn’t call it a misunderstanding.

HAWCASTLE.  It would ill become a father to press upon the subject of his son’s merits—­

PIKE [plaintively].  I don’t want to talk about him with you—­I don’t want to hurt your feelings.

HAWCASTLE.  Perhaps I might better put it on the ground of your ward’s wishes—­of certain advantages of position which it is her ambition to attain.

PIKE [troubled].  I can’t talk about it with anybody but her.

[Enter MARIANO from the hotel with a letter on a tray.  Goes to PIKE.]

HAWCASTLE.  There is another matter—­

[PIKE stands examining envelope of the letter in profound thought.]

I fear I do not have your attention.

[MARIANO goes into the hotel.]

PIKE [looking up].  Go ahead!

HAWCASTLE.  There is another matter to which I may wish to call your attention.