Aunt. (seating herself end of sofa, and putting rug over her, aside) She shall come and live with me! I know what it is to have loved a worthless man! (looks severely at Doctor) I pity her!
Doctor. (very timidly) Aunt, may I explain? I'm not——(crosses to sofa)
Aunt. (loudly) Silence, sir!
(Enter Plant with bag, hurriedly, shown in by Tupper.)
Plant. (not seeing Aunt, meets Doctor going towards door) Bear up, Jack, I've bad news for you—Miss Garden's bolted—gone back to her husband, I'm afraid.
Aunt. Her husband?
Plant. (staggered, recovers himself) My dear Miss Sheppard! (aside to Doctor) What's the matter with her?
Doctor. I don't know—complicated case.
Plant. Ahem! So this joyful meeting between aunt and nephew has taken place—how I wish I'd been here to witness it—and my daughters, too. (to Aunt) They're devoted to dear Jack. Ah, I'm afraid the rascal means to rob me of one of my precious jewels. He's a gray dog!
(Doctor looks anything out gay.)