thing to me, except as one of your family.

CHLOE. 'Tisn't I that wants to spoil your home.

MRS. H. Stop them then. I see your husband down there with his
father.

CHLOE. I--I have tried.

MRS. H. [Looking at her] Oh! I suppose such men don't pay
attention to what women ask them.

CHLOE. [With a flash of spirit] I'm fond of my husband. I----

MRS. H. [Looking at her steadily] I don't quite know why you spoke
to me.

CHLOE. [With a sort of pathetic sullenness] I only thought perhaps
you'd like to treat me as a human being.

MRS. H. Really, if you don't mind, I should like to be left alone
just now.

CHLOE. [Unhappily acquiescent] Certainly! I'll go to the other
end.

[She moves to the Left, mounts the steps and sits down.]

[ROLF, looking in through the door, and seeing where she is,
joins her. MRS. HILLCRIST resettles herself a little further
in on the Right.]

ROLF. [Bending over to CHLOE, after a glance at MRS. HILLCRIST.]
Are you all right?

CHLOE. It's awfully hot.

[She fans herself wide the particulars of sale.]

ROLF. There's Dawker. I hate that chap!

CHLOE. Where?

ROLF. Down there; see?

[He points down to stage Right of the room.]

CHLOE. [Drawing back in her seat with a little gasp] Oh!

ROLF. [Not noticing] Who's that next him, looking up here?

CHLOE. I don't know.

[She has raised her auction programme suddenly, and sits
fanning herself, carefully screening her face.]

ROLE. [Looking at her] Don't you feel well? Shall I get you some
water? [He gets up at her nod.]

[As he reaches the door, HILLCRIST and JILL come in. HILLCRIST
passes him abstractedly with a nod, and sits down beside his
wife.]

JILL. [To ROLF] Come to see us turned out?

ROLF. [Emphatically] No. I'm looking after Chloe; she's not well.

JILL. [Glancing at her] Sorry. She needn't have come, I suppose?
[RALF deigns no answer, and goes out.]

[JILL glances at CHLOE, then at her parents talking in low
voices, and sits down next her father, who makes room for her.]

MRS. H. Can Dawker see you there, Jack?

[HILLCRIST nods.]

What's the time?

HILLCRIST. Three minutes to three.

JILL. Don't you feel beastly all down the backs of your legs.
Dodo?

HILLCRIST. Yes.

JILL. Do you, mother?

MRS. H. No.

JILL. A wagon of old Hornblower's pots passed while we were in the
yar