g a cake, and hanging, a tired and
unwilling victim, to her mother's hand._

WOMAN. Ach! schoen! sehr schoen!!

MAN. Groesses, nicht?

WOMAN. _Yah!_

[_They stand admiring._

AUSTIN. By the way, when you answer your brother's letter, I wish you'd
say I seemed surprised he was still in New York.

JINNY. [_Reading._] Um--um--

MAN. [_Wiping his warm brow._] _Wunderbaum!_

WOMAN. _Yah!!_

[_They go out Left, talking._

JINNY. [_Looking up from her letter._] Oh! what do you think?

AUSTIN. That you're the sweetest woman in the world.

JINNY. No, _darling_, I mean _who_ do you think Geoffrey says is over
here and in Italy?

AUSTIN. I haven't the most remote idea! So far as _I've_ been able to
observe there has been absolutely _no one_ in Italy but _you and me_.

JINNY. If you keep on talking like that, I shall kiss you!

AUSTIN. What! before the tall, white gentleman? [_Motioning to Apollo._]
I am dumb.

JINNY. [_Very lovingly._] Silly! Well!--Mrs. Cullingham and Peter are
over here and have brought Ruth Chester!

AUSTIN. [_Speaking without thinking._] Then it _was_ her back.

JINNY. [_With the smallest sharpening of the look in her eye._] When?

AUSTIN. That I saw just now.

JINNY. [_With the tiniest suggestion of a strain in her voice._] You
said you didn't know whom it reminded you of.

AUSTIN. Yes, I know, I didn't quite.

JINNY. But if you thought it was Ruth Chester, why not have said so?

AUSTIN. No reason, dear, I simply didn't think.

JINNY. Well-- [_Sententiously._] --_next time--think!_

AUSTIN. What else does Geoffrey say?

JINNY. Oh, nothing. The heat for two days was frightful--already they
miss me more than he can say--

[_Interrupted._

AUSTIN. I'll bet.

JINNY. Father smoked nineteen cigars a day the first week I was gone.

AUSTIN. _I_ haven't _had_ to smoke _any_!

JINNY. Mercy! don't boast!--and he thinks they will all soon go to Long
Island for the summer.

AUSTIN. Doesn't he say a word nor a hint at his going West?

JINNY. No, he says he may go to Newport for August, and that's all.

[_Putting away letter, and getting out others._

AUSTIN. Going to read all those?

JINNY. If you don't mind, while I rest. _Do_ you mind?

AUSTIN. Of course not, but I think while you're reading I'll just take a
little turn and see if I can't come across the Cullinghams.

[_Rising._

JINNY. [_After the merest second's pause, and looking seriously at
him._] Why d