[Dick and joy dance.]

Dick.  By Jove, Joy!  You’ve done your hair up.  I say, how jolly!  You do look——­

Joy. [Throwing her hands up to her hair.] I did n’t mean you to see!

Dick. [In a hurt voice.] Oh! didn’t you?  I’m awfully sorry!

Joy. [Flashing round.] Oh, you old Peachey!

     [She looks at the ground, and then again at Dick.]

Miss beech. [Sidling round the tree.] Oh! dear!

Joy. [Whispering.] She’s been letting out your worms. [Miss beech disappears from view.] Look!

Dick. [Quickly.] Hang the worms!  Joy, promise me the second and fourth and sixth and eighth and tenth and supper, to-night.  Promise!  Do!

     [Joy shakes her head.]

It’s not much to ask.

Joy.  I won’t promise anything.

Dick.  Why not?

Joy.  Because Mother’s coming.  I won’t make any arrangements.

Dick. [Tragically.] It’s our last night.

Joy. [Scornfully.] You don’t understand! [Dancing and clasping her hands.] Mother’s coming, Mother’s coming!

Dick. [Violently.] I wish——­Promise, Joy!

Joy. [Looking over her shoulder.] Sly old thing!  If you’ll pay
Peachey out, I’ll promise you supper!

Miss beech. [From behind the tree.] I hear you.

Joy. [Whispering.] Pay her out, pay her out!  She’s let out all your worms!

Dick. [Looking moodily at the paint pot.] I say, is it true that Maurice Lever’s coming with your mother?  I’ve met him playing cricket, he’s rather a good sort.

Joy. [Flashing out.] I hate him.

Dick. [Troubled.] Do you?  Why?  I thought—­I didn’t know—­if I’d known of course, I’d have——­

     [He is going to say “hated him too!” But the voices of Ernest
     blunt and the colonel are heard approaching, in dispute.]

Joy.  Oh!  Dick, hide me, I don’t want my hair seen till Mother comes.

     [She springs into the hollow tree.  The colonel and Ernest
     appear in the opening of the wall.]

Ernest. The ball was out, Colonel.

Colonel.  Nothing of the sort.

Ernest. A good foot out.

Colonel.  It was not, sir.  I saw the chalk fly.

     [Ernest is twenty-eight, with a little moustache, and the
     positive cool voice of a young man who knows that he knows
     everything.  He is perfectly calm.]

Ernest. I was nearer to it than you.

Colonel. [In a high, hot voice.] I don’t care where you were, I hate a fellow who can’t keep cool.

Miss beech. [From behind the hollow tree.] Fie!  Fie!