d of MERCY, who
gives a little squeal.]
CONNIE. Mercy, don't! Mrs. Burlacombe'll hear. Ivy, go an' peek.
[Ivy goes to flee side door and peers through.]
CLYST. [Abandoning the chase and picking up an apple--they all have
the joyous irresponsibility that attends forbidden doings] Ya-as,
this is a gude apple. Luke at Tibby!
[TIBBY, overcome by drowsiness, has fallen back into the hay,
asleep. GLADYS, leaning against the hay breaks into humming:]
"There cam' three dukes a-ridin', a-ridin', a-ridin',
There cam' three dukes a ridin'
With a ransy-tansy tay!"
CLYST. Us 'as got on vine; us'll get prize for our dancin'.
CONNIE. There won't be no prize if Mr. Strangway goes away. 'Tes
funny 'twas Mrs. Strangway start us.
IVY. [From the door] 'Twas wicked to hiss him.
[A moment's hush.]
CLYST. Twasn't I.
BOBBIE. I never did.
GLADYS. Oh! Bobbie, yu did! Yu blew in my ear.
CLYST. 'Twas the praaper old wind in the trees. Did make a brave
noise, zurely.
MERCY. 'E shuld'n' 'a let my skylark go.
CLYST. [Out of sheer contradictoriness] Ya-as, 'e shude, then.
What du yu want with th' birds of the air? They'm no gude to yu.
IVY. [Mournfully] And now he's goin' away.
CLYST. Ya-as; 'tes a pity. He's the best man I ever seen since I
was comin' from my mother. He's a gude man. He'em got a zad face,
sure enough, though.
IVY. Gude folk always 'ave zad faces.
CLYST. I knu a gude man--'e sold pigs--very gude man: 'e 'ad a
budiful bright vase like the mane. [Touching his stomach] I was sad,
meself, once. 'Twas a funny scrabblin'--like feelin'.
GLADYS. If 'e go away, whu's goin' to finish us for confirmation?
CONNIE. The Rector and the old grey mare.
MERCY. I don' want no more finishin'; I'm confirmed enough.
CLYST. Ya-as; yu'm a buty.
GLADYS. Suppose we all went an' asked 'im not to go?
IVY. 'Twouldn't be no gude.
CONNIE. Where's 'e goin'?
MERCY. He'll go to London, of course.
IVY. He's so gentle; I think 'e'll go to an island, where there's
nothin' but birds and beasts and flowers.
CLYST. Aye! He'm awful fond o' the dumb things.
IVY. They're kind and peaceful; that's why.
CLYST. Aw! Yu see tu praaper old tom cats; they'm not to peaceful,
after that, nor kind naighther.
BOBBIE. [Surprisingly] If 'e's sad, per'aps 'e'll go to 'Eaven.
IVY. Oh! not yet, Bobbie. He's tu young.
CLYST. [Foll
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