CHARLIE:  Guess who it is?

VIOLA:  Is it a human being?

CHARLIE:  (Effeminately.) Why, I like that!  Of course, it is.

VIOLA:  It’s Lottie.

CHARLIE:  No.

VIOLA:  Then it’s Fanny.

CHARLIE:  No.

VIOLA:  Then it must be Lillie.

CHARLIE:  No; you silly goose, it’s Charlie.

VIOLA:  (In disgust.) I thought you said it was a human being?

CHARLIE:  Just for that you must sit down on the bench and give me a kiss.

VIOLA:  Wait a minute till I go into the house and get a veil.  The sunlight hurts my eyes. (She exits at L.)

CHARLIE:  (Moving towards R.) That will just give me time to go into the grove and smoke a cigarette. (Exits.)

(Enter CHLORINDA from house.  She has a green veil on, which hides her face; she sits down on bench.)

CHLORINDA:  Ebery wench on dis plantation has got a fellah ’ceptin me, so I went to a fortune tellah an’ she said Ah should sit on dis heah bench ebery day and ah nice fellah would come along.  Well, I’se been doing it now for ovah a month an’ Ah habent seen no nice fellah yet; in fact, Ah habent seen a fellah of any kind.

(Enter CHARLIE from R.)

CHARLIE:  Ah, there, my sugar plum.

CHLORINDA:  Ain’t he jes’ too sweet for anything?

CHARLIE:  So you love your baby?

CHLORINDA:  ’Deed I do, honey.

CHARLIE:  Then lay your beautiful head on my manly breast and let me pour sweet words of love into your ear.

CHLORINDA:  Go to it, kiddo. (Business of CHARLIE petting CHLORINDA.)

CHARLIE:  And now, ain’t you going to, give me a nice, sweet kiss, darling?

CHLORINDA:  Help yourself to as many as you want.

(CHLORINDA lifts veil just enough to let CHARLIE touch her lips.  He does not, however, notice that she is colored, and is busily engaged hugging and kissing her, as VIOLA enters from house; she is very much surprised.)

VIOLA:  Charlie Doolittle, what does this mean? (CHLORINDA raises her veil, then laughs and runs into house.)

CHARLIE:  (Discovering his error.) Why, my dear, it’s all a mistake; I thought—­that is to say—­er—­

VIOLA:  I’m not surprised at your embarrassment.  The idea of making love to our colored cook the minute my back is turned.

CHARLIE:  If you’ll just let me explain—­

VIOLA:  Explain nothing.  I’m going to tell my father how you’ve insulted me.  He doesn’t like you, anyhow, and if he ever catches you on the premises, your life won’t be worth 23 cents in Confederate money. (VIOLA exits into house.)

CHARLIE:  Ain’t she the exasperating creature!  I declare, she’s made me so peevish, I could crush a grape.  The idea of telling me her father doesn’t like me.  Why shouldn’t he like me? (ARTHUR MAYNARD appears in back-ground unnoticed by CHARLIE.) But, anyhow, I’m not afraid of her father.  Why, if he were to stand before me right at this moment, I’d—­