_Rose._
Kean once warned mother of that.
_Sir William._
[_In an altered tone._] Kean? which Kean?
_Rose._
Edmund Kean. My mother acted with Edmund Kean when she was a girl.
_Sir William._
[_Approaching her slowly, speaking in a queer voice._] With Kean? with
Kean!
_Rose._
Yes.
_Sir William._
[_At her side, in a whisper._] My dear, I--I've seen Edmund Kean.
_Rose._
Yes?
_Sir William._
A young man then, I was; quite different, from the man I am
now--impulsive, excitable. Kean! [_Drawing a deep breath._] Ah, he was a
_splendid gypsy!_
_Rose._
[_Looking down at the dress-basket._] I've a little fillet in there that
my mother wore as Cordelia to Kean's Lear----
_Sir William._
I may have seen your mother also. I was somewhat different in those
days----
_Rose._
[_Kneeling at the basket and opening it._] And the Order and chain, and
the sword, he wore in Richard. He gave them to my father; I've always
prized them. [_She drags to the surface a chain with an Order attached
to it, and a sword-belt and sword--all very theatrical and tawdry--and a
little gold fillet. She hands him the chain._] That's the Order.
_Sir William._
[_Handling it tenderly._] Kean! God bless me!
_Rose._
[_Holding up the fillet._] My poor mother's fillet.
_Sir William._
[_Looking at it_] I may have seen her. [_Thoughtfully._] I was a young
man then. [_Looking at Rose steadily._]Put it on, my dear.
[_She goes to the mirror and puts on the fillet._]
_Sir William._
[_Examining the Order._] Lord bless us! how he stirred me! how he----!
[_He puts the chain over his shoulders. Rose turns to him._]
_Rose._
[_Advancing to him._] There!
_Sir William._
[_Looking at her._] Cordelia! Cordelia--with Kean!
_Rose._
[_Adjusting the chain upon him._] This should hang so. [_Returning to
the basket and taking up the sword-belt and sword._] Look!
_Sir William._
[_Handling them._] Kean! [_To her, in a whisper._] I'll tell ye! I'll
tell ye! when I saw him as Richard--I was young and a fool--I'll tell
ye--he almost fired me with an ambition to--to----[_Fumbling with the
belt._] How did he carry this?
_Rose._
[_Fastening the belt, with the sword, round him._] In this way--
_Sir William._
Ah! [_He paces the stage, growling and muttering, and walking with a
limp and one shoulder hunched. She watches him, seriously._] Ah! he was
a little man too! I remember him! as if it were last night!
I remember----- [_Pausing and looking at her fixedly._] My dear, your
prospects in life have been injured by your unhappy acquaintanceship
with my grandson.
_Rose._
[_Gazing into the fire._] Poor Arthur's prospects in life--what of them?
_Sir William._
[_Testily._] Tsch, tsch, tsch!
_Rose._
If I knew where he is----!
_Sir William._
Miss Trelawny, if you cannot act, you cannot earn your living.
_Rose._
How is he earning _his_ living?
_Sir William._
And if you cannot earn your living, you must be provided for.
_Rose._
[_Turning to him._] Provided for?
_Sir William._
Miss Gower was kind enough to bring me here in a cab. She and I will
discuss plans for making provision for ye while driving home.
_Rose._
[_Advancing to him._] Oh, I beg you will do no such thing, Sir William.
_Sir William._
Hey!
_Rose._