.

HAWCASTLE. How?

LADY CREECH. Shedding tears over this Ivanoff's story. What's more, she
has sent that dreadful Pike person to him with assistance.

HAWCASTLE. What sort of assistance?

LADY CREECH. Money. I don't know how much, but I'm sure it was a lot.

ALMERIC [with a sudden inspiration]. By Jove! Buying the beggar off,
perhaps, to keep him from making a scandal for us.

HAWCASTLE [excitedly]. That's what she's trying to do!

LADY CREECH. Then why do you go?

HAWCASTLE. Because I'm not sure she can. [Going to steps.] Wire me at
the Bertolini, Naples. [Turning at stoop.] This shows she means to
stick.

LADY CREECH. For the sake of her promise.

HAWCASTLE [emphatically]. Yes, and for the sake of the name.

[He runs out rapidly.]

[PIKE enters from the grove, smoking.]

PIKE [thoughtfully]. Your pa seems in a hurry.

[LADY CREECH and ALMERIC turn, startled. LADY CREECH haughtily sweeps
away, entering the hotel.]

ALMERIC [cheerfully]. Oh yes, possibly--he's off, you know--to catch a
train. He's so easily worried by trifles.

[PIKE looks at ALMERIC with a sort of chuckling admiration.]

PIKE. Well, you don't worry--not too easy; do you, son?

ALMERIC. Oh, one finds nothing in particular this morning to bother one.

PIKE [assenting]. Nothing at all.

ALMERIC. Not I. Of course, Miss Ethel is standing to her promise?

PIKE [grimly]. Yes, she is.

ALMERIC. The Governor only thought it best to clear out a bit until we
were certain that she manages to draw off this convict chap.

PIKE [puzzled]. Draw him off?

ALMERIC. What you Americans call "affixing him," isn't it?

PIKE. "Affixing him?" Don't try to talk United States, my son. Just tell
me in your own way.

ALMERIC. She's been giving him money, hasn't she? You took it to him
yourself, didn't you? Naturally, we understood what it was for. She's
trying to keep the beggar quiet.

PIKE. So that's what she sent this poor cuss the money for, was it?

ALMERIC. Why, what other reason could there be?

PIKE. Well, you know I sort of gathered it was because she was sorry for
him--thought he'd been wronged; but, of course, I'm stupid.

ALMERIC. Well, ra-_ther_! I don't know that it was so necessary for her
to hush him up, but it showed a very worthy intention in her, didn't it?

PIKE [slowly]. Would you mind my being present when you thank her for
it?

ALMERIC. Shouldn't in the least if I intended thanking her. It simply
shows she considers