Steve.  See here, Annie—­I be comed out of the rain and into the sun once more.

Dorry. [Leading George forward.] See how fine Mr. Davis do look—­ see, isn’t he grand?  O, Miss Sims, see how nice the flower do look what Rosie has pinned in his coat!  See, Gran’ma.

Jane.  I’ve enough to do putting away all these glasses which have been messed up.  What I wants to know is when I shall get off to bed this night, seeing as ’tis late already and you none of you gone off yet.

Dorry.  O, let us be off, let us be off—­and what am I to put over my dress, Gran’ma, so as the snow shan’t get to it?

Jane.  If you go careful and don’t drop it in the snow may be as I’ll wrap my big shawl around of you, Dorry, what’s hanging behind the door.

Rose.  Give me my cloak, Steve—­O, how I do love a bit of dancing, don’t you, Mr. Davis?

George.  I be about as much use in the ball room as one of they great drag horses, Miss Rose.

Rose.  O, get on, Mr. Davis!  I don’t believe half what you do say, no more does Annie.

Annie.  If Mr. Davis don’t know how to dance right, you’re the one to learn him, Rose.  Come, Dorry, you take hold of my hand, and I’ll look after you on the way.  Good-night, Mrs. Browning.  Good-night, Mrs. Reed.

Dorry.  Why, Granny’s sound asleep, Miss Sims, you know.

Jane.  And about time, too.  ’Tis to be hoped as we shan’t have no more trouble with her till morning.

Dorry. [Her eyes raised to the door latch.] Just look, why the latch is up.

Annie.  Whoever’s that, I wonder?

Rose.  ’Tis very likely someone with a horse what’s lost a shoe,
Steve.

Jane.  I guess as ’tis a coffin wanted sudden, George Davis.

Steve.  I bain’t a-going to shoe no horses this time of night, not if ’twas the King hisself what stood at the door.

George.  If ’tis a corpse, I guess her’ll have to wait till the dancing’s finished, then.

[Vashti groans in her sleep and turns over in the chair, her face to the fire.

Steve. [Going to the door and speaking loudly.] Who’s there?

George.  Us’ll soon see.

[George unbolts the door and opens it, first a little way, and then wide.  May is seen standing in the doorway.  Her shawl is drawn over head and the lower part of her face.

George.  Here’s someone what’s missed their way, I count.

Rose.  Why, ’tis like the poor thing we seed beneath the hedge, I do believe.

Annie Whatever can she want a-coming-in here at this time of night!

Jane. [Advancing firmly.] ’Tis one of they dirty roadsters what there’s too many of all about the country.  Here, I’ll learn you to come to folks’ houses this time of night, disturbing of a wedding party.  You take and get gone.  We don’t want such as you in here, we don’t.