Susan.  O leave me alone—­you be worse nor a nest of waspes—­that you be.

Grandmother. [Turning fiercely round.] Us’ll smoke them out of their holes one day—­see if us do not.

[They pass over to the tree where the grandmother sits down and Susan crouches by her side.  Presently they are joined by Jockie.  The girls sing a verse or two of another song, and during this lady Millicent, enveloped in a big cloak, goes over to the tree, followed by Alice, also wearing a long cloak and they sit down by the side of Susan.

Marion. [Pointing.] Who are those yonder, Rose?

Rose.  I’m sure I don’t know, Marion—­strangers, may be.

Marion.  O my heart goes wild this afternoon.

Rose.  Mine too.  Look, there they come.

[The Music begins to play and old lady Cullen, followed by her lady companions, comes slowly towards the dais, on which she seats herself.

Lady Cullen.  Dear me, what a gathering to be sure.

Her lady.  Indeed it is an unusual sight.

Lady Cullen.  And O what a sad infatuation on the part of my poor boy.

Her lady.  The war has been known to turn many a brain.

Lady Cullen.  And yet my son holds his own with the brightest intelligences of the day.

Her lady.  Only one little spot of his lordship’s brain seems to be affected.

Lady Cullen.  Just so.  But here he comes, poor misguided youth.

[Lord Cullen comes slowly over the green, looking to right and to left.  He mounts the dais and sits down by his mother, and the music plays for a country dance.  “The Twenty Ninth of May.”  The girls arrange themselves, and during the dance lord Cullen scans each face very eagerly.  The dance ends and the girls pass in single file before the dais.

Lord Cullen.  No, no—­that was not the music of it, that was not the dance—­not a face among them resembles the image I carry in my heart.

Lady Cullen. [Aside.] Thank goodness.  May that face never be seen again.

[A fresh group come up and another dance is formed and danced.

Lord Cullen. [At the end of it.] Worse and worse.  Could I have dreamed both the music and the dance and the dancer?

Lady Cullen. [Soothingly.] I am sure this was the case, my dear son.

Lord Cullen. [Rallying.] I heard her voice singing in the forest before ever she began to dance.  It was the sweetest voice and song I ever heard. [Looking around.] Can any of these maid, sing to me, I wonder?

Marion. [Steps forward.] I only know one song, my lord.