Kitty. O Rose, Rose, don’t take it so hard. ’Twasn’t Robert’s fault. ’Twas the girl off the road what led him on. I know it. Tell her to get out of the house. I’ll dress you—I’ll do the work. Only be just and sensible again; dear Rose.
Rose. Let the girl bide. It makes no difference to me. There’ll be no marrying for me to-day.
[John comes in at the door.
Kitty. [Running to him.] O John, John—do you quiet down Rose and tell her to get upstairs and dress. She’s a-saying that she won’t marry Robert because of his goings on with the new servant—But, O, you’ll talk her into reason again, won’t you, dear John?
John. Come, come, what’s all this cackle about, Rose?
Rose. I’m breaking off with Robert, that’s all, John.
John. Robert, can’t you take and explain a bit what ’tis.
Robert. [Sullenly.] A little bit of play ’twixt me and the wench there, and that’s about all, I reckon.
John. Now that’s an unsensible sort of thing to get doing on your marriage day, to my thinking.
Kitty. ’Twasn’t Robert’s fault, I know. ’Twas the maid off the road who started it.