MRS. LAWER. Good afternoon, Mrs. Warren, good afternoon.

(_Breathlessly_) How ill, how worried you are looking, Mrs. Warren. Oh, I am so sorry for you ... so very sorry. (_She sits down._) I have just seen Mrs. Romney, who had just seen Mrs. Lawty, and had the dreadful news from her. I am so sorry, Mrs. Warren.

MRS. WARREN. But what----

MRS. LAWER. But, of course, we who have known you for all these years will be as silent as the tomb ... you can depend upon us, lean upon us, call upon us. We shall comfort you and be your support in this hour of greatest need.

MRS. WARREN. Why ... why, what do you mean?

MRS. LAWER. You really mean to say you do not know about Betty and Doctor Hunter? Oh, dear!

MRS. WARREN. But Betty did nothing so very, very improper.

MRS. LAWER. Improper! Well, of course, we shall not blame poor Betty, she is still very young, but we do blame that wicked Doctor Hunter.

Why, he is a married man, my dear ... and oldish. He should have known better.

MRS. WARREN. But Betty only walked with him.

MRS. LAWER. Only walked with him? I was told that he sends flowers to Betty ... and flowers have secret meanings. To say the least, they are sentimental. And Mrs. Lawty told Mrs. Romney that she heard Betty say with her own lips that Doctor Hunter was a conversationalist. I believe that means a person with very free ideas about personal matters ...

love, and that sort of thing.

MRS. WARREN. No, indeed ... it simply means that he is a very interesting talker.

MRS. LAWER. That's just it, Mrs. Warren. What does he find so much to talk about? I have never met him, but from things I have heard I believe he must be a dreadful person. Most unwholesome, so to speak, to the society--the very refined society of Northampton, where for the last forty years we have all lived in such perfect peace and understanding.

MRS. WARREN. Oh, that this should have come upon me!

MRS. LAWER. Your misfortune is our misfortune, Mrs. Warren. We shall do everything we can to keep this dreadful scandal----

MRS. WARREN. Scandal! Has it--has it gone as far as that?

MRS. LAWER. Let us say, indiscretion. As I was saying, we shall keep it locked in our hearts, no word of it will ever reach foreign ears. Of course I really know very little of the whole affair, but I felt that my first duty was to come to you.

(_CLARA enters._)

MRS. WARREN. Yes, Clara?

CLARA. I can't find her, ma'am.

MRS. WARREN. Oh, do find her, Clara. I must ... I must see her at once.

(_The knocker sounds._) Who can that be? Clara ... Clara, see who is at the door.

(_CLARA goes out._)

MRS. LAWER. Oh, Mrs. Warren, trust me in everything ... are you sure Betty has always been what she seemed ... I mean----

MRS. WARREN. Mrs. Lawer, do you mean to say that Betty ... Betty Warren ... my daughter----

MRS. LAWER. My dear, we must face the truth ... we must prepare ourselves for the worst ... we must----

(_CLARA enters._)

CLARA. It's them "Helpin' Hand" ladies, if you please, ma'am. The lot of 'em.

MRS. WARREN. Bring them in, Clara ... have them come right in. Oh! Oh!

MRS. LAWER. You must be calm, my dear ... perfectly calm.

(_MRS. LAWTY, MRS. PICKERING, and MRS. ROMNEY enter from the hall._)

MRS. WARREN. Oh, my dear ladies. Do ... do be seated.

(_They all sit down quietly. There is a long pause. MRS. PICKERING moves restlessly._)

MRS. PICKERING. Mrs. Warren, we have adjourned our meeting of the "Helping Hand" until next week in order to come to you ... the poor, dear natives of the South Sea Islands will have to wait another week for their napkins and tablecloths.

MRS. ROMNEY. A very short time ... considering they have not had such necessary luxuries for several centuries.

MRS. LAWTY. Still, it was with some feeling of ... of regret that we left our work of altruism unfinished, until next week.

MRS. PICKERING. But we feel that our first duty is at home. Yes, we all felt that our duty was toward you, Mrs. Warren, at present.

MRS. WARREN. Ladies, I am overcome with your kindness.

MRS. PICKERING. We shall now consider ... consider ways and means of--of helping you, Mrs. Warren, out of this unspeakable--or, let us say, embarra.s.sing situation.

MRS. LAWTY. Let us rather call it ... unfortunate situation.

MRS. ROMNEY. No matter what we call it ... let us get on----

MRS. PICKERING. The facts are these: Mrs. Lawty tells us she heard Betty, with her own ears, openly say that the man under consideration, Doctor Hunter, was a revolutionist and----

MRS. LAWTY. I said conversationalist. Though he probably is both.

MRS. ROMNEY. I think she must have meant conventionalist.

MRS. PICKERING. Nevertheless, one is as bad as the other. They all go hand in hand.

MRS. WARREN. But I believe Betty only said he was a good conversationalist and----

MRS. LAWTY. Anyway, she said he talked a lot about it.

MRS. PICKERING. I fear it must be one of those dreadful, sinful new religions one hears so much of nowadays.

MRS. WARREN. Oh!

MRS. LAWTY. Also, we understand from very reliable sources that Mrs.

Hunter is never seen with her husband in public.