No. When, people gave up growing corn round here and all the land was turned into pasture it fell into decay, and now it’s almost ruinous.
BROWN
What a pity!
HESTER
Yes. Father says England has never been the same since the repeal of the Corn laws. (Enter Mrs. De Mullin and Mrs. Clouston by the door on the left, followed by Dr. Rolt.) Here is mother—and Aunt Harriet.
Mrs. De Mullin, poor lady, is a crushed, timid creature of fifty-eight or so, entirely dominated by the De Mullin fetish and quite unable to hold her own against either her husband or her sister-in-law, a hardmouthed, resolute woman of sixty. Even Hester she finds almost too much for her. For the rest a gentle, kindly lady, rather charming in her extreme helplessness. Rolt is the average country doctor, brisk, sensible, neither a fool nor a genius.
ROLT
(as they enter the room)
He’s better. Distinctly better. A little weak and depressed, of course. That’s only to be expected. Good morning.
[Shakes hands with Hester. Nods to Brown.