No, by-and-by will not be
just as convenient. Now, Renie, we'll leave them together.

[_Gets_ RENIE _off, turns, looks daggers at_ LUCAS, _goes off
after_ RENIE, _closes door in his face. He opens it, and goes after
her._

_Lucas._ I say, Doll, what's up? [_Follows her off._] What's the matter?

_Matt._ [_Reading_ DOLLY'S _note._] "Be very severe with him. Make a
great point of the dairy windows. He'll understand." Dairy windows?

[_Puts the note in his pocket, as_ LUCAS _re-enters, puzzled and
disappointed._

_Lucas._ I can't think what's the matter with Dolly. She has done
nothing but snub me all the evening.

_Matt._ [_Looking at him sternly._] So I should imagine!

_Lucas._ [_Startled by his manner._] I say, have I done anything?

_Matt._ Done anything! I'm a man of the world! nobody can accuse me of
being strait-laced, and therefore I suppose you think you can come here
and set at defiance all the----it's disgraceful!

_Lucas._ Would you mind telling me what you're hinting at?

_Matt._ I'm not hinting! I'm going to speak out very plainly, and I tell
you that I look upon your conduct as something atrocious!

_Lucas._ I say, Uncle, what's all this about?

_Matt._ What's it about? What's it about? It's about the dairy windows!

_Lucas._ Then it was you--phew!--so it was you?

_Matt._ Well, after the dairy windows, can you stand there and tell me
you aren't thoroughly, completely, heartily ashamed of yourself?

_Lucas._ Well, I suppose I am. But, after all, it wasn't so very bad----

_Matt._ Not bad?!

_Lucas._ Well, not so d--ee--d awful.

_Matt._ [_Regards him for a few moments._] Well, I'm astonished! If you
don't consider your behaviour d--ee--d awful, will you please find me
some word that will describe it?

_Lucas._ You know you're putting a much worse construction on this than
the necessities of the case demand.

_Matt._ What?!

_Lucas._ I've nothing to reproach myself with. Mrs. Biggs wasn't out of
the dairy three minutes, and you were hanging about the windows all the
time.

_Matt._ I was hanging about the windows?

_Lucas._ Yes, and I must say that when you saw two people engaged in an
interesting conversation the least you could do was to pass on and take
no notice.

_Matt._ "Interesting conversation"?!

_Lucas._ Well, what did you call it? If it comes to that, what do you
accuse me of?

_Matt._ Well, here you are, on the first day of the year, after