John.  Come, Robert, if you play false to my sister at the last moment, you know with whom you’ll have to reckon like. [Robert pays no heed to him.

John. [To Jeremy.] Can you do naught to work upon them a bit, Jerry?

Jeremy.  I’d have a jug of cider in, master.  ’Twill settle them all.  Folks do get ’sterical and vapourish face to face with matrimony.  Put some drink afore of them, and see how ’twill act.

Liz.  O what a wise thought, Master Jerry.

Jane.  Most suitable, I call it.

[Here Mary meadows comes in, John turns eagerly to her.

John.  O Mary—­have you come to help us in the fix where we are? [He signs to rose and Robert.

Mary.  What has happened, John?

Jeremy.  I’ll tell you in a couple of words, mistress.

Liz.  No—­do you fetch the cider, dear Mister Jeremy.

John.  ’Tis more than I can do with, Mary.  Rose is set against Robert, and Robert is set against Rose.  Rose—­well I’m fairly ashamed to mention it—­Rose has lost her senses and would wed the servant William—­and Robert is a-courting of the maid.

Jeremy.  Ah, let each fool follow their own liking, says I.

Liz.  And sister and me all dressed in our new gowns for the church.

Jane.  And Jerry had to do the hooking for we, both of the servants having runned away.

Mary.  Well, now I’m here I’ll lend a hand.  I’ll help with the dinner time you’re at church.  You shall not need to trouble about anything, Mr. John.

John.  O once I do get them to the church and the ring fixed and all I shan’t trouble about nothing, Mary.  But ’tis how to move them from where they be!  That’s the puzzle.

Rose.  I’ll never move till the hand that gathered these flowers be here to raise me.

Robert.  I’ll sit here to the end of the world sooner nor go along to be wed with Miss over there.

Mary.  ’Tis midsummer heat have turned their brains.  But I know a cooling draught that will heal them of their sickness.  Jeremy, do you step into the garden and bring me a handful of fresh violet leaves, one blossom from the heartsease and a sprig of rosemary.

Jeremy. [Sighing.] What next?

John.  Get gone at once, Jerry.

[Jeremy goes to the door—­as he does so Liz and Jane start up and follow him.

Liz.  Sister and me will come along and help you, dear Mr. Jeremy.

Jane.  And that us will, if our new gowns bain’t hooked too tight for we to bend.

[They follow Jeremy to the garden.  Kitty silently leaves the room also.  Rose and Robert remain lost in their sorrowful reflections.  John and Mary look at them for a moment and then turn to one another.