If I Had a Father

far as I’m concerned. Susan I won’t never no more again, sir⁠—not if Mattie don’t drive me to it. Constance To Col. Gervaise. Come back for me in a little while. Col. Gervaise Yes, miss. Come, Bill. Exit. Bill All right, sir. I’m a follerin’, as the cat said to the pigeon. Exit. Susan I’ll just go and get you a cup o’ tea. Mrs. Jones’s kettle’s sure to be a bilin’. That’s what you would like. Exit. Constance steps aside, and Susan passes without seeing her. Mattie Oh! to be a baby again in my mother’s arms! But it’ll soon be over now. Constance comes forward. Constance I hope you’re a little better now? Mattie You’re very kind, miss; and I beg your pardon for speaking to you as I did. Constance Don’t say a word about it. You didn’t quite know what you were saying. I’m in trouble myself. I don’t know how soon I may be worse off than you. Mattie Why, miss, I thought you were going to be married! Constance No, I am not. Mattie Why, miss, what’s happened. He’s never going to play you false⁠—is he? Constance I don’t mean ever to speak to him again! Mattie What has he done to offend you, miss? Constance Nothing. Only I know now I don’t like him. To tell you the truth, Mattie, he’s not a gentleman. Mattie Not a gentleman, miss! How dare you say so? Constance Do you know anything about him? Did you ever see him? Mattie Yes. Constance Where? Mattie Once at your house. Constance Oh! I remember⁠—that time! I begin to⁠—It couldn’t be at the sight of him you fainted, Mattie?⁠—You knew him? Tell me! tell me! Make me sure of it. Mattie To give you your revenge! No. It’s a mean spite to say he ain’t a gentleman. Constance Perhaps you and I have different ideas of what goes to make a gentleman. Mattie Very likely. Constance Oh! don’t be vexed, Mattie. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Mattie Oh! I dare say! Constance If you talk to me like that, I must go. Mattie I never asked you to come. Constance Well, I did want to be friendly with you. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world. Mattie Bursting into tears. I beg your pardon, miss. I’m behaving like a brute. But you must forgive me; my heart is breaking. Constance Poor dear! Kissing her. So is mine almost. Let us be friends. Where’s Susan gone? Mattie To fetch me a cup of tea. She’ll be back directly. Constance Don’t let her say bad words: I can’t bear them. I think it’s because I was so used to them once⁠—in the streets, I mean⁠—not at home⁠—never at home. Mattie She don’t often, miss. She’s a good-hearted creature. It’s only when hunger makes her cross. She don’t like to be hungry. Constance I should think not, poor girl! Mattie Don’t mind what she says, please. If you say nothing, she’ll come all right. When she’s spoken her mind, she feels better. Here she comes! Reenter Susan. It begins to grow dark. Susan Well, and who have we got here? Mattie Miss Lacordère, Sukey. Susan There’s no lack o’ dare about her, to come here! Mattie It’s very kind of her to come, Susan. Susan I tell you what, miss: that parcel was stole. It was stole, miss!⁠—stole from me⁠—an’ that angel there a dyin’ in the street! Constance I’m quite sure of it, Susan. I never thought anything else. Susan Not but I allow it was a pity, miss!⁠—I’m very sorry. But, bless you! Lighting a candle.⁠—with all your fine clothes⁠—! My! you look like a theayter-queen⁠—you do, miss! If you was to send them up the spout now!⁠—My! what a lot they’d let you have on that silk! Constance The shawl is worth a good deal, I believe. It’s an Indian one⁠—all needlework. Susan And the bee-utiful silk! Laws, miss! just shouldn’t I like to wear a frock like that! I should be hard up before I pledged that! But the shawl! If I was you, miss, I would send ’most everything up before that!⁠—things inside, you know, miss⁠—where it don’t matter so much. Constance Laughing. The shawl would be the first thing I should part with. I would rather be nice inside than out. Susan Lawk, miss! I shouldn’t wonder if that was one of the differs now! Well, I never! It ain’t seen! It must be one o’ the differs! Constance What differs? I don’t understand you. Susan The differs ’tween girls an’ ladies⁠—girls like me an’ real ladies like you. Constance Oh, I see! But how dark it has got! What can be keeping William? I must go at once, or what will my aunt say! Would you mind going with me a little bit, Susan? Susan I’ll go with pleasure, miss. Constance Just a little way, I mean, till we get to the wide streets. You couldn’t lend me an old cloak, could you? Susan I ’ain’t got one stitch, miss, but what I stand up in⁠—’cep’ it be a hodd glove an’ ’alf a pocket-’an’kercher. Nobody ’ill know you. Constance But I oughtn’t to be out dressed like this. Susan You’ve only got to turn up your skirt over your head, miss. Constance Drawing up her skirt. I never thought of that! Susan Well, I never! Constance What’s the matter? Susan Only the whiteness o’ the linin’ as took my breath away, miss. It ain’t no use turnin’ of it up: you’ll look like a lady whatever you do to hide it. But never mind: that ain’t no disgrace so long as you don’t look down on the rest of us. There, miss! There you are⁠—fit for a play! Come along; I’ll take care of you. Lawks! I’m as good as a man⁠—I am! Constance Goodbye then, Mattie. Mattie Goodbye, miss. God bless you. Exeunt.

End of Act III.

Act IV

Scene.⁠—The Studio.

	Enter Col. Gervaise Walks about restless and eager.
Col. Gervaise	Thank heaven! If Bill has found Mr. Warren now⁠—Exit.
	Enter Warren.
Warren	What can the fellow be up to? There’s something odd about him⁠—something I don’t like⁠—but it can’t mean mischief when