Kate. You don’t say so! (picking up the thread and drawing them together) Now, how dare you tell me such stories? (breaks the thread, throws it to Mildred, crosses Tom to R. of table and fills a vase with flowers from her basket)
Tom. It’s no use trying to deceive you, Miss Derwent. I’ve been making love to Mildred.
Kate. Making love at ten o’clock in the morning? I’m ashamed of you. It’s almost as bad as playing cards by daylight.
Tom. (C.) I want her to marry me and she won’t! She says my family’s too good for her—as if anything could be too good for Mildred! I’m sure the Verinders are poor enough. As for me, she forgets my father was cut off with a shilling, and blew’d the lot?
Kate. (R.C.) Blew’d the lot.
Mil. Tom means, his father spent it. (C.L. of Tom)
Kate. Spent the shilling?
Tom. Every penny of it. Oh, we’re a reckless lot, we Verinders!
Philip Selwyn enters C. from L., he places his stick in stand L. of C. door, hat on small table up R.C., and goes slowly down to fire-place, R.
Mil. And why was he cut off with the shilling?