[A silence.]
LADY ELLA. [Suddenly] Er—thank you, Jarvis; you needn't wait.
JARVIS. No, m'lady. Your service, sir—service, m'm.
[He goes. A silence.]
THE SQUIRE. [Drawing a little closer] Three weeks? I say—er— wasn't there a book?
THE RECTOR. [Abstracted] Three weeks——I certainly haven't seen them in church.
MAUD. A trifle of a ring!
LADY ELLA. [Impulsively] Oh, bother! I'm sure she's all right. And if she isn't, I don't care. She's been much too splendid.
THE SQUIRE. Must think of the village. Didn't quite like the doctor's way of puttin' us off.
LADY ELLA. The poor darling owes his life to her.