s a question distinctly different
[with a glance at the hotel, his voice growing somewhat
threatening]--distinctly!

[ETHEL enters from the hotel.]

ETHEL [to HAWCASTLE, in a troubled voice]. You wished me to come here.

HAWCASTLE [going to her and taking her hand]. My child, I wish you to
have another chat with our strangely prejudiced friend on the subject so
near to all our hearts. And I wish to tell you that I see light
breaking through our clouds. Even if he prove obdurate, do not be
downcast--all will be well.

[Turns and goes out into the garden, his voice coming back in benign,
fatherly tones.]

All will be well!

[PIKE stands regarding ETHEL, who does not look up at him.]

PIKE [gently]. I'm glad you've come, Miss Ethel. I've got something here
I want to read to you.

ETHEL [coldly]. I did not come to hear you read.

PIKE. When I got your letter at home I wrote to Jim Cooley, our
vice-consul at London, to look up the records of these Hawcastle folks
and write to me here about how they stand in their own community.

ETHEL [astounded]. What!

PIKE. What's thought of them by the best citizens, and so on.

ETHEL [enraged]. You had the audacity--_you_--to pry into the affairs of
the Earl of Hawcastle!

PIKE. Why, I'd 'a' done that--I wouldn't 'a' stopped at anything--I'd'
'a' done that if it had been the Governor of Indiana himself!

ETHEL. You didn't consider it indelicate to write to strangers about my
intimate affairs?

PIKE [placatingly]. Why, Jim Cooley's home-folks! His office used to be
right next to mine in Kokomo.

ETHEL. It's monstrous--and when _they_ find what you've done--Oh, hadn't
you shamed me enough without this?

PIKE. I expect this letter'll show who ought to be ashamed. Now just
let's sit down here and try to work things out together.

ETHEL [with a slight, bitter laugh]. "Work things out together!"

PIKE. I'm sorry--for _you_, I mean. But I don't see any other way to do
it, except--together. Won't you?

[She moves slowly forward and sits at extreme left of the bench. He
watches her, noticing how far she withdraws from him, bows his head
humbly, with a sad smile, then sits, not quite at the extreme right of
the bench, but near it.]

PIKE. I haven't opened the letter yet. I want you to read it first, but
I ought to tell you there's probably things in it'll hurt your feelings,
sort of, mebbe.

ETHEL [icily]. How?

PIKE. Well, I haven't much of a doubt but Jim'll have