tter with him? What
does he take it like that for?

CROFTS [morosely] Youre afraid of Praed.

MRS WARREN. What! Me! Afraid of dear old Praddy! Why, a fly wouldn't be
afraid of him.

CROFTS. _You're_ afraid of him.

MRS WARREN [angry] I'll trouble you to mind your own business, and not
try any of your sulks on me. I'm not afraid of y o u, anyhow. If you
can't make yourself agreeable, youd better go home. [She gets up, and,
turning her back on him, finds herself face to face with Praed]. Come,
Praddy, I know it was only your tender-heartedness. Youre afraid I'll
bully her.

PRAED. My dear Kitty: you think I'm offended. Don't imagine that: pray
don't. But you know I often notice things that escape you; and though you
never take my advice, you sometimes admit afterwards that you ought to
have taken it.

MRS WARREN. Well, what do you notice now?

PRAED. Only that Vivie is a grown woman. Pray, Kitty, treat her with
every respect.

MRS WARREN [with genuine amazement] Respect! Treat my own daughter with
respect! What next, pray!

VIVIE [appearing at the cottage door and calling to Mrs Warren] Mother:
will you come to my room before tea?

MRS WARREN. Yes, dearie. [She laughs indulgently at Praed's gravity, and
pats him on the cheek as she passes him on her way to the porch]. Don't
be cross, Praddy. [She follows Vivie into the cottage].

CROFTS [furtively] I say, Praed.

PRAED. Yes.

CROFTS. I want to ask you a rather particular question.

PRAED. Certainly. [He takes Mrs Warren's chair and sits close to
Crofts].

CROFTS. Thats right: they might hear us from the window. Look here: did
Kitty every tell you who that girl's father is?

PRAED. Never.

CROFTS. Have you any suspicion of who it might be?

PRAED. None.

CROFTS [not believing him] I know, of course, that you perhaps might
feel bound not to tell if she had said anything to you. But it's very
awkward to be uncertain about it now that we shall be meeting the girl
every day. We don't exactly know how we ought to feel towards her.

PRAED. What difference can that make? We take her on her own merits.
What does it matter who her father was?

CROFTS [suspiciously] Then you know who he was?

PRAED [with a touch of temper] I said no just now. Did you not hear me?

CROFTS. Look here, Praed. I ask you as a particular favor. If you _do_
know [movement of protest from Praed]--I only say, if you know,
you might at least set my mind at rest about her. The f