ACT III.—Scene 1.
The same room. It is nearly mid-day, and the room is full of sunshine. Jane Browning, in her best dress, is fastening Dorry’s frock, close to the window.
Dorry. Dad’s been a rare long time a-cleaning of his self up, Gran.
Jane. Will you bide still! However’s this frock to get fastened and you moving this way and that like some live eel—and just see what a mark you’ve made on the elbow last night, putting your arm down somewhere where you didn’t ought to—I might just as well have never washed the thing.
Dorry. Granny’s sound asleep still—she’ll have to be waked time we goes along to the church.
Jane. That her shan’t be. Her shall just bide and sleep the drink out of her, her shall. Do you think as I didn’t find out who ’twas what had got at the bottle as Dad left on the dresser last night.
Dorry. Poor Gran, she do take a drop now and then.
Jane. Shame on th’ old gipsy. Her shall be left to bide till she have slept off some of the nonsense which is in her.
Dorry. Granny do say a lot of funny things sometimes, don’t she, now?
Jane. You get and put on your hat and button your gloves, and let the old gipsy be. We can send her off home when ’tis afternoon, and us back from church. Now, where did I lay that bonnet? Here ’tis.