Misalliance

on your mother when she came to me in her trouble. Didn’t you know that? Gunner No. She never talked to me about anything. Tarleton How could she talk to her own son? Shy, Summerhays, shy. Parent and child. Shy. He sits down at the end of the writing table nearest the sideboard like a man resigned to anything that fate may have in store for him. Mrs. Tarleton Then how did you find out? Gunner From her papers after she died. Mrs. Tarleton Shocked. Is Lucy dead? And I never knew! With an effusion of tenderness. And you here being treated like that, poor orphan, with nobody to take your part! Tear up that foolish paper, child; and sit down and make friends with me. Johnny Hallo, mother this is all very well, you know⁠— Percival But may I point out, Mrs. Tarleton, that⁠— Bentley Do you mean that after what he said of⁠— Hypatia Oh, look here, mamma: this is really⁠— Mrs. Tarleton Will you please speak one at a time? Silence. Percival In a very gentlemanly manner. Will you allow me to remind you, Mrs. Tarleton, that this man has uttered a most serious and disgraceful falsehood concerning Miss Tarleton and myself? Mrs. Tarleton I don’t believe a word of it. If the poor lad was there in the Turkish bath, who has a better right to say what was going on here than he has? You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Patsy; and so ought you too, Mr. Percival, for encouraging her. Hypatia retreats to the pavilion, and exchanges grimaces with Johnny, shamelessly enjoying Percival’s sudden reverse. They know their mother. Percival Gasping. Mrs. Tarleton: I give you my word of honor⁠— Mrs. Tarleton Oh, go along with you and your word of honor. Do you think I’m a fool? I wonder you can look the lad in the face after bullying him and making him sign those wicked lies; and all the time you carrying on with my daughter before you’d been half an hour in my house. Fie, for shame! Percival Lord Summerhays: I appeal to you. Have I done the correct thing or not? Lord Summerhays You’ve done your best, Mr. Percival. But the correct thing depends for its success on everybody playing the game very strictly. As a single-handed game, it’s impossible. Bentley Suddenly breaking out lamentably. Joey: have you taken Hypatia away from me? Lord Summerhays Severely. Bentley! Bentley! Control yourself, sir. Tarleton Come, Mr. Percival! the shutters are up on the gentlemanly business. Try the truth. Percival I am in a wretched position. If I tell the truth nobody will believe me. Tarleton Oh yes they will. The truth makes everybody believe it. Percival It also makes everybody pretend not to believe it. Mrs. Tarleton: you’re not playing the game. Mrs. Tarleton I don’t think you’ve behaved at all nicely, Mr. Percival. Bentley I wouldn’t have played you such a dirty trick, Joey. Struggling with a sob. You beast. Lord Summerhays Bentley: you must control yourself. Let me say at the same time, Mr. Percival, that my son seems to have been mistaken in regarding you either as his friend or as a gentleman. Percival Miss Tarleton: I’m suffering this for your sake. I ask you just to say that I am not to blame. Just that and nothing more. Hypatia Gloating mischievously over his distress. You chased me through the heather and kissed me. You shouldn’t have done that if you were not in earnest. Percival Oh, this is really the limit. Turning desperately to Gunner. Sir: I appeal to you. As a gentleman! as a man of honor! as a man bound to stand by another man! You were in that Turkish bath. You saw how it began. Could any man have behaved more correctly than I did? Is there a shadow of foundation for the accusations brought against me? Gunner Sorely perplexed. Well, what do you want me to say? Johnny He has said what he had to say already, hasn’t he? Read that paper. Gunner When I tell the truth, you make me go back on it. And now you want me to go back on myself! What is a man to do? Percival Patiently. Please try to get your mind clear, Mr. Brown. I pointed out to you that you could not, as a gentleman, disparage a lady’s character. You agree with me, I hope. Gunner Yes: that sounds all right. Percival But you’re also bound to tell the truth. Surely you’ll not deny that. Gunner Who’s denying it? I say nothing against it. Percival Of course not. Well, I ask you to tell the truth simply and unaffectedly. Did you witness any improper conduct on my part when you were in the bath? Gunner No, sir. Johnny Then what do you mean by saying that⁠— Hypatia Do you mean to say that I⁠— Bentley Oh, you are a rotter. You’re afraid⁠— Tarleton Rising. Stop. Silence. Leave it at that. Enough said. You keep quiet, Johnny. Mr. Percival: you’re whitewashed. So are you, Patsy. Honors are easy. Lets drop the subject. The next thing to do is to open a subscription to start this young man on a ranch in some far country that’s accustomed to be in a disturbed state. He⁠— Mrs. Tarleton Now stop joking the poor lad, John: I won’t have it. Has been worried to death between you all. To Gunner. Have you had your tea? Gunner Tea? No: it’s too early. I’m all right; only I had no dinner: I didn’t think I’d want it. I didn’t think I’d be alive. Mrs. Tarleton Oh, what a thing to say! You mustn’t talk like that. Johnny He’s out of his mind. He thinks it’s past dinnertime. Mrs. Tarleton Oh, you’ve no sense, Johnny. He calls his lunch his dinner, and has his tea at half-past six. Haven’t you, dear? Gunner Timidly. Hasn’t everybody? Johnny Laughing. Well, by George, that’s not bad. Mrs. Tarleton Now don’t be rude, Johnny: you know I don’t like it. To Gunner. A