MRS. PICKERING. Naturally, my dear, naturally; you are her mother and
wish to shield her. But I felt that it was, as I said before, my duty to
tell you all I know of the facts of the whole matter.
MRS. WARREN. You quite alarm me, Mrs. Pickering.
MRS. PICKERING. Young girls, nowadays, are sometimes ... I might say,
sometimes indiscreet.
MRS. WARREN. Oh!
MRS. PICKERING. My dear, men are strange beings. Oh, the poor souls that
have been lured to their destruction by men. I am always reminded of
that beautiful passage in Genesis which says that woman was made after
man. And isn't it our dear Mr. Browning who says, "Second thoughts are
always best"? (_She puts down her teacup._) There, now, I really must
be going, Mrs. Warren. I am on my way to the meeting of the "Helping
Hand Society" and I really mustn't be too late. I hope I have not overly
alarmed you, Mrs. Warren, but as one of your oldest friends and as the
wife of your pastor I feel that I must always do my duty, no matter how
painful, when the way lies open before me. I sincerely hope you will not
feel that I have been ... been peremptory, so to speak, Mrs. Warren.
MRS. WARREN. No ... no. It is very kind of you to come to me in this sad
moment of trouble.
MRS. PICKERING. (_Rising_) I do hope you will be able to attend the
services to-morrow morning. Mr. Pickering has written a beautiful sermon
on the evils of gossip ... a beautiful sermon. I feel that it is the
best thing he has written in all the forty years of his righteous work.
I am sure it will thunder down the ages as his masterpiece. The
sentiment, the beautiful English, and even the punctuation ... are
really marvelous. Of course, Mr. Pickering and I both realize that there
is _very_ little gossip in Northampton ... but it is best to know sin
when one encounters it. Good afternoon, Mrs. Warren.
MRS. WARREN. (_Weakly_) Good afternoon.
(_MRS. PICKERING goes out. CLARA enters._)
CLARA. I have brought the hot water, ma'am.
MRS. WARREN. Did you call Betty?
CLARA. I knocked at her door, ma'am ... I knocked very loudly, ma'am,
but got no answer.
MRS. WARREN. I am so distressed, Clara. See if she is in the garden.
Yes, she must be in the garden. (_CLARA starts._) And Clara, do tell her
to come in and see me at once. I want to talk to her. It is very
important ... oh, most important that I see her at once. Clara. (_The
knocker sounds._) See who that can be, Clara. Oh, more dreadful news, I
fear. (_CLARA goes into the hall. MRS. WARREN keeps mumbling to
herself:_) Most disconcerting ... most dreadfully disconcerting.
(_CLARA enters._)
CLARA. It is Mrs. Lawer, ma'am.
MRS. WARREN. Eh? What? Who, did you say?
CLARA. Mrs. Lawer, ma'am.
MRS. WARREN. Mrs. Lawer? Oh, do have her come right in, Clara.
(_CLARA goes out. MRS. LAWER enters._)
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.