MRS.BURLACOMBE.[With that forced cheerfulness always assumed in the face of too great misfortune]Well,Jim!better?[At the faint brightening of the smile]That's right!Yu'm gettin'on bravely.
Want Parson?
JIM.[Nodding and smiling,and speaking slowly]I want to tell 'un about my cat.
[His face loses its smile.]
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Why!what's she been duin'then?Mr.Strangway's busy.Won't I du?
JIM.[Shaking his head]No.I want to tell him.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Whatever she been duin'?Havin'kittens?
JIM.No.She'm lost.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Dearie me!Aw!she'm not lost.Cats be like maids;they must get out a bit.
JIM.She'm lost.Maybe he'll know where she'll be.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Well,well.I'll go an'find 'im.
JIM.He's a gude man.He's very gude.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.That's certain zure.
STRANGWAY.[Entering from the house]Mrs.Burlacombe,I can't think where I've put my book on St.Francisthe large,squarish paleblue one?
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Aw!there now!I knu there was somethin'on me mind.Miss Willis she came in yesterday afternune when yu was out,to borrow it.Oh!yesI saidI'm zure Mr.Strangway'll lend it 'ee.Now think o'that!
STRANGWAY.Of course,Mrs.Burlacombe;very glad she's got it.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Aw!but that's not all.When I tuk it up there come out a whole flutter o'little bits o'paper wi'little rhymes on 'em,same as I see yu writin'.Aw!my gudeness!I says to meself,Mr.Strangway widn'want no one seein'them.
STRANGWAY.Dear me!No;certainly not!
MRS.BURLACOMBE.An'so I putt 'em in your secretary.
STRANGWAY.Myah!Yes.Thank you;yes.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.But I'll goo over an'get the buke for yu.
'T won't take me 'alf a minit.
[She goes out on to the green.JIM BERE has come in.]
STRANGWAY.[Gently]Well,Jim?
JIM.My cat's lost.
STRANGWAY.Lost?
JIM.Day before yesterday.She'm not come back.They've shot 'er,I think;or she'm caught in one o'they rabbittraps.
STRANGWAY.Oh!no;my dear fellow,she'll come back.I'll speak to Sir Herbert's keepers.
JIM.Yes,zurr.I feel lonesome without 'er.
STRANGWAY.[With a faint smilemore to himself than to Jim]
Lonesome!Yes!That's bad,Jim!That's bad!
JIM.I miss 'er when I sits than in the avenin'.
STRANGWAY.The eveningsThey're the worstand when the blackbirds sing in the morning.
JIM.She used to lie on my bed,ye know,zurr.
[STRANGWAY turns his face away,contracted with pain]
She'm like a Christian.
STRANGWAY.The beasts are.
JIM.There's plenty folk ain't 'alf as Christian as 'er be.
STRANGWAY.Well,dear Jim,I'll do my very best.And any time you're lonely,come up,and I'll play the flute to you.
JIM.[Wriggling slightly]No,zurr.Thank 'ee,zurr.
STRANGWAY.Whatdon't you like music?
JIM.Yees,zurr.[A figure passes the window.Seeing it he says with his slow smile:"'Ere's Mrs.Bradmere,comin'from the Rectory."
[With queer malice]She don't like cats.But she'm a cat 'erself,I
think.
STRANGWAY.[With his smile]Jim!
JIM.She'm always tellin'me I'm lukin'better.I'm not better,zurr.
STRANGWAY.That's her kindness.
JIM.I don't think it is.'Tis laziness,an''avin''er own way.
She'm very fond of 'er own way.
[A knock on the door cuts off his speech.Following closely on the knock,as though no doors were licensed to be closed against her,a greyhaired lady enters;a capable,broadfaced woman of seventy,whose every tone and movement exhales authority.With a nod and a "good morning"to STRANGWAY she turns at face to JIM
BERE.]
MRS.BRADMERE Ah!Jim;you're looking better.
[JIM BERE shakes his head.MRS.BRADMERE.Oh!yes,you are.
Getting on splendidly.And now,I just want to speak to Mr.
Strangway.]
[JIM BERE touches his forelock,and slowly,leaning on his stick,goes out.]
MRS.BRADMERE.[Waiting for the door to close]You know how that came on him?Caught the girl he was engaged to,one night,with another man,the rage broke something here.[She touches her forehead]Four years ago.
STRANGWAY.Poor fellow!
MRS.BRADMERE.[Looking at him sharply]Is your wife back?
STRANGWAY.[Starting]No.
MRS.BRADMERE.By the way,poor Mrs.Cremeris she any better?
STRANGWAY.No;going fast:Wonderfulso patient.
MRS.BRADMERE.[With gruff sympathy]Um!Yes.They know how to die![Wide another sharp look at him]D'you expect your wife soon?
STRANGWAY.I Ihope so.
MRS.BRADMERE:So do I.The sooner the better.
STRANGWAY.[Shrinking]I trust the Rector's not suffering so much this morning?
MRS.BRADMERE.Thank you!His foot's very bad.
[As she speaks Mrs.BURLACOMBE returns with a large paleblue book in her bared.]
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Good day,M'm![Taking the book across to STRANGWAY]Miss Willie,she says she'm very sorry,zurr.
STRANGWAY.She was very welcome,Mrs.Burlacombe.[To MRS.
BURLACOMBE]Forgive memy sermon.
[He goes into the house.The two women graze after him.Then,at once,as it were,draw into themselves,as if preparing for an encounter,and yet seem to expand as if losing the need for restraint.]
MRS.BRADMERE.[Abruptly)He misses his wife very much,I'm afraid.
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Ah!Don't he?Poor dear man;he keeps a terrible tight 'and over 'imself,but 'tis suthin'cruel the way he walks about at night.He'm just like a cow when its calf's weaned.'T'as gone to me 'eart truly to see 'im these months past.T'other day when I went up to du his rume,I yeard a noise like this [she sniffs];an'ther''e was at the wardrobe,snuffin'at 'er things.I
did never think a man cud care for a woman so much as that.
MRS.BRADMERE.H'm!
MRS.BURLACOMBE.'Tis funny rest an''e comin''ere for quiet after that tearin'great London parish!'E'm terrible absentminded tu
don't take no interest in 'is fude.Yesterday,goin'on for one o'clock,'e says to me,"I expect 'tis nearly breakfasttime,Mrs.
Burlacombe!"'E'd 'ad it twice already!
MRS.BRADMERE.Twice!Nonsense!
MRS.BURLACOMBE.Zurely!I give 'im a nummit afore 'e gets up;an'
