I'm verra anxious to hear your
brother explaining what he's made out about the bellows. Its the small
things like that you ken that a man makes a fortune of, not the big
ones.

JOHN (_impressed_). Do you think that now?

MACKENZIE. You know I take a particular interest in bellows myself. I
tried my hand a good while working out a new kind of bellows, and I
flatter myself that I know something about the subject.

JOHN. Aye. (_Looking round._) Where's Daniel? Daniel! Are you there,
Daniel? (DANIEL _comes out and stands near the door._) You could maybe
bring them plans out you're working at and explain it to them now,
Daniel. Eh? And wait, Sarah wants to hear it too. (_Calling._) Are you
there, Sarah?

DANIEL (_seating himself sadly_). Aye. She's in there somewhere taking
stock.

JOHN (_going next door to rooms_). Are you there, dear? (SARAH _comes
out._) Daniel's going to explain the thing to us, and you wanted to
hear about it. Didn't you?

SARAH. I'm just dying to know all about it. (_She seats herself to the
right at back._ ANDY _sits on one side of the table and_ MACKENZIE
_at the other, expectantly, while_ JOHN _goes over to the fireplace
almost opposite his brother._) You know, Mr. Daniel, that's one thing
we want very bad in our house--a good fan bellows.

DANIEL. They are very useful, very.

JOHN. Aye. They are that. (_To_ SARAH). He has a good head on him,
Daniel. Eh? (_To_ DANIEL.) Now go on and make it very plain so that
every one can follow you. Bring out the plans and show us.

DANIEL (_uneasily._) I can explain it better without them. (_After a
pause._) Well, I suppose this subject of bellows would come under the
heading of pneumatics in natural philosophy.

JOHN. Oh, now, don't be going off that way. Could you not make it
plainer nor that?

DANIEL (_appealingly_). Well. Could I be much plainer, Mr. Mackenzie?

MACKENZIE (_cynically_). I'm here to discuss fan bellows, not
pneumatics.

DANIEL (_sotto voce_). D----n him. (_He pulls himself together._)
Well. Then I suppose the first thing is--well--to know what is a
bellows.

ANDY. Aye. Man, Daniel, you start off just the same as the clergy.
That's the way they always goes on expounding things to you.

SARAH (_severely_). Don't be interrupting, Andy.

MACKENZIE (_sneeringly_). Well, I think everyone here knows what a
bellows is.

DANIEL. Everyone here? Do you, John?

JOHN. Aye. I would like, Daniel, to hear right what a bellows is. I
m