DE MULLIN
How harm?
JANET
Mr. Brown would have asked Hester to marry him if I hadn’t come. He meant to; I’m sure of it.
MRS. DE MULLIN
But he said...
JANET
I know. But that was only an excuse. Young men aren’t so considerate of their future fathers-inlaw as all that nowadays. No. Mr. Brown heard some story about me from Miss Deanes. Or perhaps the Vicar put him on his guard. Isn’t it so, Hester?
[Hester nods.