Hillcrist. [Ignoring it] I thought you said you didn’t keep your word when it suited you to break it?

Hornblower.  Now, don’t get on the high horse.  You and me could be very good friends; but I can be a very nasty enemy.  The chimneys will not look nice from that windie, ye know.

Hillcrist. [Deeply angry] Mr. Hornblower, if you think I’ll take your hand after this Jackman business, you’re greatly mistaken.  You are proposing that I shall stand in with you while you tyrannise over the neighbourhood.  Please realise that unless you leave those tenancies undisturbed as you said you would, we don’t know each other.

Hornblower.  Well, that won’t trouble me much.  Now, ye’d better think it over; ye’ve got gout and that makes ye hasty.  I tell ye again:  I’m not the man to make an enemy of.  Unless ye’re friendly, sure as I stand here I’ll ruin the look of your place.

     [The toot of a car is heard.]

There’s my car.  I sent Chearlie and his wife in it to buy the Centry.  And make no mistake—­he’s got it in his packet.  It’s your last chance, Hillcrist.  I’m not averse to you as a man; I think ye’re the best of the fossils round here; at least, I think ye can do me the most harm socially.  Come now!

     [He holds out his hand again.]

Hillcrist. Not if you’d bought the Centry ten times over.  Your ways are not mine, and I’ll have nothing to do with you.

Hornblower. [Very angry] Really!  Is that so?  Very well.  Now ye’re goin’ to learn something, an’ it’s time ye did.  D’ye realise that I’m ’very nearly round ye? [He draws a circle slowly in the air] I’m at Uphill, the works are here, here’s Longmeadow, here’s the Centry that I’ve just bought, there’s only the Common left to give ye touch with the world.  Now between you and the Common there’s the high road.

I come out on the high road here to your north, and I shall come out on it there to your west.  When I’ve got me new works up on the Centry, I shall be makin’ a trolley track between the works up to the road at both ends, so any goods will be running right round ye.  How’ll ye like that for a country place?

[For answer Hillcrist, who is angry beyond the power of speech, walks, forgetting to use his stick, up to the French window.  While he stands there, with his back to Hornblower, the door L. is flung open, and Jim enters, preceding Charles, his wife Chloe, and Rolf.  Charles is a goodish-looking, moustached young man of about twenty-eight, with a white rim to the collar of his waistcoat, and spats.  He has his hand behind Chloe’s back, as if to prevent her turning tail.  She is rather a handsome young woman, with dark eyes, full red lips, and a suspicion of powder, a little under-dressed for the country.  Rolf, mho brings up the rear, is about twenty, with an open face and stiffish butter-coloured hair.  Jill runs over to her father at the window.  She has a bottle.]

Jill. [Sotto voce] Look, Dodo, I’ve brought the lot!  Isn’t it a treat, dear Papa?  And here’s the stuff.  Hallo!