The Drone | Page 8

of completion he has to stop.
JOHN. Never mind, Danny. You can do it again the night or the
morrow morning. I want you to look decent. Come on and get on you.

DANIEL (beginning to regard his brother with a sudden interest and
suspicion). Who did you say was coming?
JOHN (at door to rooms). Andy and Sarah McMinn. (He goes out.)
DANIEL (suddenly realising the import of the preparations going on.)
McMinn. Mc----. (He stops short, and then in a horrified voice.) Surely
to God he hasn't a notion of that woman? (Calling tremulously.) John!
John!
JOHN (at door). Hurry up, man.
DANIEL (appealingly). John. Tell me, John. You haven't----you're not
going to----you haven't a notion of that woman?
JOHN (hesitatingly). Well, Daniel, you see the house needs some one
to look after it proper, and I thought----well--maybe--that Sarah would
be just as nice and saving a woman as I could get, but I thought I would
keep it a bit secret, don't you know, because I don't know yet if she'd
have me or not. And she could talk to you better nor I could about
machinery and things that would interest you, for she has an agency for
sewing machines, and knows something about that sort of thing, and
you'd get on great with each other. Now, hurry and get on you. (He
goes out by door into rooms.)
DANIEL (looking after him in a helpless manner, and sinking into a
chair). If--if she'd have him! O great God! If that woman comes to this
house, I--I'm a ruined man.
(CURTAIN.)

ACT II.
The same scene some hours later. The curtain rises to discover KATE
seated near table at back enjoying a cup of tea which she has made,
and is drinking with relish.

KATE. I suppose they'll be wanting jam and sugar for the tea--aye--and
some of them scones Miss Mary cooked yesterday, not but you couldn't
eat them, and a pat or two of butter. (She finishes off the remains of the
tea.) Now, that's a nice girl for you! Here's company coming till the
house and tea and things a wanting, and she goes and leaves all to go
strolling down the loaning with that fool of a McCready.
(BROWN opens the yard door and comes in. He replaces the spanner
on the top shelf and then turns and looks at KATE.)
KATE. Well?
BROWN. Well, yourself?
KATE. Do you see any sign of them McMinns yet?
BROWN. Aye. I see the trap coming over the Cattle Hill. There was
three in it, as far as I could make out.
KATE. Who be to be the third party I wonder? Is it their servant man?
BROWN. Do you think old Andy McMinn's servant man gets leave to
drive them about of an afternoon like the clergy's? Talk sense, woman.
KATE. Maybe it's yon Scotch body I heard was stopping with them.
BROWN. Aye. Yon Mackenzie. Ach, man, but yon creature would
scunder you.
KATE. Aye.
BROWN. Ach! Cracking jokes and laughing that hearty at them, and
I'm danged if a bat with one eye shut could make out what he was
laughing at. (Listening.) Here they are. I hear the wheels coming up the
loaning. I'll have to go and put up the horse for them I suppose. (He
goes out by yard door.)
KATE. I wonder if the master seen them coming. (She rapidly clears
the table and then goes over to door into room.) I better tell him. (She

knocks at the door.)
JOHN (without). Aye. (He comes and opens the door, dressed in his
best suit of clothes.) What's the matter?
KATE. They're just come, sir.
JOHN (excitedly). Are they? (Comes into kitchen.) Is my tie right, Kate?
And my clothes--is there any dirt on the back of them?
KATE (inspecting him critically). You'll do grand. I never seen you
looking better.
JOHN. Where's Mary? Why isn't she here?
KATE. She went out about something. She'll be back in a minute.
JOHN. Right enough, it would do her all the good in the world to have
a sensible woman looking after her. She just gets her own way a deal
too much in this house. (He goes to window and looks out.) Aye. Here
they are! Tell Daniel to hurry. (KATE goes off by door to rooms.)
Sarah's looking bravely. Man, that woman could save me thirty, aye
forty, pounds a year if she was here. (Suddenly.) Ach! Is Daniel never
ready yet? (Calls.) Daniel! (Louder.) Daniel!
DANIEL (without). Aye.
JOHN. Hurry, man. They've come. (JOHN goes to yard door and goes
out.)
DANIEL (in an exasperated voice). Ach!
(JOHN comes in followed by ANDREW MCMINN, an elderly
non-descript sort of man, followed by SARAH, a sour faced spinster of
uncertain age.