MRS. PICKERING. And that he calls her dreadful names.

MRS. LAWTY. Most suspicious!

MRS. ROMNEY. Oh, I don't believe a word of it.

MRS. LAWTY. Believe it or not, Mrs. Romney ... my information is most reliable.

MRS. WARREN. Is there any way, ladies, of overcoming this situation, I mean----

MRS. ROMNEY. You might call on Mrs. Hunter to-morrow, Mrs. Warren.

MRS. LAWTY. Never!

MRS. LAWER. You might write her a very formal letter, very formal, my dear, asking her to call.

MRS. PICKERING. Ask Mrs. Hunter to come here? I think she would never set her foot in the house.

MRS. LAWER. At any rate, we must do something at once before----

MRS. LAWTY. Before they elope.

LADIES. (_They all begin to talk at once_) Before it is too late. Oh!

Ah! But do you really think--I never thought of that. Poor Mrs. Warren!

Do you suppose that Mrs. Hunter---- Oh! Etc.

MRS. WARREN. Ladies! Ladies! Do you really think Betty would----

MRS. LAWTY. One never knows what to think!

MRS. WARREN. Clara! Clara!

(_CLARA enters from the hall. She holds a letter in her hand._)

CLARA. Yes, ma'am.

MRS. WARREN. Did you find Betty?

CLARA. I went to her room again, ma'am, but she did not seem to be in and she is nowhere in the garden.

MRS. PICKERING. Not in her room! Not in the garden!

MRS. WARREN. You mean, Clara, she is nowhere to be found? Clara, was her room disturbed ... I mean, did it look as if ... as if ... as if she might have left hurriedly?

CLARA. Why, I didn't go in, ma'am. The door was locked.

MRS. WARREN. Locked?

LADIES. (_Looking at each other knowingly_) Locked!

CLARA. Here is a note, ma'am. It was just left by Doctor Hunter's boy, ma'am.

MRS. PICKERING. A letter!

MRS. ROMNEY. From Doctor Hunter!

MRS. LAWTY. Perhaps they _have_ eloped!

(_The ladies jump to their feet._)

MRS. LAWER. And her room locked ... she must have gone through the window!

LADIES. Gone!

MRS. WARREN. (_Who has been too busy looking for her spectacles to notice what has been going on about her_) Why, it is a letter for---- (_She looks up._) Ladies, what is the matter? What has happened? Why are you all so excited?

MRS. LAWTY. Don't you understand? It is a letter from Doctor Hunter saying they have eloped!

MRS. WARREN. (_Sinking deep into her chair_) Oh!

(_BETTY appears in the door at left._)

BETTY. Ladies.

MRS. WARREN. (_Waving the letter weakly_) Betty! Betty! Betty!

BETTY. Mother!

MRS. WARREN. (_Looking up_) Betty ... Betty, is that you?

LADIES. Oh!

BETTY. Why are you all so--excited? Mother, what is it?

LADIES. Oh! (_They all sit down again._)

MRS. WARREN. Then you--then you---- Oh, where have you been?

BETTY. Why, just taking a little nap, Mother. Really, I didn't know the ladies were here or I should have come right down.

MRS. WARREN. Then you haven't ... you haven't eloped?

BETTY. Why, Mother dear, what _do_ you mean?

MRS. WARREN. These ladies said--said----

(_The ladies all begin to talk at once._)

MRS. LAWTY. You see, Betty dear, Mrs. Pickering told Mrs. Romney, who told me that----