Look here, Julia, don't say another word; you shall have
the dress for two hundred and fifty.

MISS GODESBY. [_Rushing back, followed by all the others._] You dear!
I'm afraid you think I've been rather nasty!

MRS. HUNTER. Oh, no, of course business is business, and I'd _rather
you_ had it than see it wasted on some of our other friends who'd be
sights in it!

MISS SILLERTON. Good-by. [_Kisses her this time._] I haven't said half I
feel; you've been in my thoughts all these last few days.

MRS. HUNTER. Thank you, dear.

[_Kisses her._

MISS GODESBY. Shall we send around for the dresses in the morning?

MRS. HUNTER. Or I'll send them.

MISS GODESBY. No, we won't trouble you.

MISS SILLERTON. Good-by!

MRS. HUNTER AND CLARA. Good-by!

[MISS SILLERTON _and_ MISS GODESBY _go out Left, followed by_ TROTTER,
_who has joined in all the good-bys, and upon whom_ CLARA _has more or
less continuously kept her "weather eye."_

MRS. HUNTER. I'm perfectly sure if I'd stuck to three hundred, Julia
Godesby would have sent around when she got home and paid it!

CLARA. I'm glad you didn't run the risk though, for we'll need every
cent we can get now.

[_She runs her fingers rapidly over the piano keys._

[BLANCHE _reenters Right._

MRS. HUNTER. Why, I thought you'd gone long ago.

BLANCHE. Jess begged me to stay with her. Try to understand her, mother;
I think she will miss father more than any of us.

[JORDAN _enters Left._

JORDAN. Mr. Warden has come back, madam.

[WARDEN _enters Left._

WARDEN. Forgive my intruding so soon again, but did Mr. Mason leave a
letter case of Mr. Hunter's here?

[BLANCHE _begins looking for the case._

MRS. HUNTER. I haven't seen it; I'll ask the servants to look. Excuse
me, I'm quite tired out; we've been receiving a long visit of
condolence.

[_She goes out, Right, with_ CLARA, _who links her arm in her mother's._

BLANCHE. [_Finding the case, which has fallen beneath the table._] Here
it is. Dear old pocket-book--

[_Her voice breaks on the last word, and turning her face away to hide
her tears, she hands him the well-worn letter case._

WARDEN. Mrs. Sterling, I'm glad they left us alone, because Mr. Mason
said he hadn't been able to manage it--to see you alone--and yet he
wanted _you only_ to examine these. They are private papers of Mr.
Hunter; he thought they ought not to be destroyed without being read,
and yet _he_ hesitated to read them. We thought that duty d