[MRS. HUNTER looks surreptitiously at CLARA, who slyly shakes her head to her mother.
MRS. HUNTER. Oh, quite impossible!
MISS GODESBY. Good-by.
MRS. HUNTER. Good-by.
MISS GODESBY. Good-by, Clara.
MRS. HUNTER. [Frightened.] Would you like to see the dress off?
MISS GODESBY. Oh, my dear, it was as off as I would ever like to see it. Good-by.
MRS. HUNTER. Good-by. [MISS SILLERTON and
MISS GODESBY get to doorway
Left.] You won’t take it?
MISS GODESBY. Can’t! Good-by.
CLARA. [Dryly.] You’re forgetting your muff!
TROTTER. Rubber!
MISS GODESBY. [Coming back for it.] How stupid!
[She goes away to the door again in silence, which is full of suspense for all of them. As she reaches the door MRS. HUNTER speaks.
MRS. HUNTER. Look here, Julia, don’t say another word; you shall have the dress for two hundred and fifty.
MISS GODESBY. [Rushing back, followed by all the
others.] You dear!
I’m afraid you think I’ve been rather
nasty!
MRS. HUNTER. Oh, no, of course business is business, and I’d rather you had it than see it wasted on some of our other friends who’d be sights in it!
MISS SILLERTON. Good-by. [Kisses her this time.] I haven’t said half I feel; you’ve been in my thoughts all these last few days.
MRS. HUNTER. Thank you, dear.
[Kisses her.
MISS GODESBY. Shall we send around for the dresses in the morning?
MRS. HUNTER. Or I’ll send them.
MISS GODESBY. No, we won’t trouble you.
MISS SILLERTON. Good-by!
MRS. HUNTER AND CLARA. Good-by!
[MISS SILLERTON and MISS GODESBY go out Left, followed by TROTTER, who has joined in all the good-bys, and upon whom CLARA has more or less continuously kept her “weather eye."
MRS. HUNTER. I’m perfectly sure if I’d
stuck to three hundred, Julia
Godesby would have sent around when she got home and
paid it!
CLARA. I’m glad you didn’t run the risk though, for we’ll need every cent we can get now.
[She runs her fingers rapidly over the piano keys.
[BLANCHE reenters Right.
MRS. HUNTER. Why, I thought you’d gone long ago.
BLANCHE. Jess begged me to stay with her.
Try to understand her, mother;
I think she will miss father more than any of us.
[JORDAN enters Left.
JORDAN. Mr. Warden has come back, madam.
[WARDEN enters Left.
WARDEN. Forgive my intruding so soon again, but did Mr. Mason leave a letter case of Mr. Hunter’s here?
[BLANCHE begins looking for the case.
MRS. HUNTER. I haven’t seen it; I’ll ask the servants to look. Excuse me, I’m quite tired out; we’ve been receiving a long visit of condolence.