[The tea is served.]

JAYSON--[Impatiently.] Stop fooling, Lily. Let's get to our
muttons. Did you talk with Martha?

LILY--[Briskly.] I did, sir.

JAYSON--[In a lowered voice.] What did she say?

LILY--She said you could all go to the devil! [They all look
shocked and insulted. LILY enjoys this, then adds quietly.] Oh,
not in those words. Martha is a perfect lady. But she made it
plain she will thank you to mind your own business.

ESTHER--[Volubly.] And just imagine, she'd even forgotten she'd
asked us here this afternoon and was going motoring with Bigelow.

LILY--With his three children, too, don't forget.

EMILY--[Softly.] They have become such well-behaved and
intelligent children, they say. [Again all the others hesitate,
staring at her suspiciously.]

LILY--[Sharply.] You'd better let Martha train yours for a while,
Emily. I'm sure she'd improve their manners--though, of course,
she couldn't give them any intelligence.

EMILY--[With the pathos of outraged innocence.] Oh!

DICK--[Interrupting.] So it's Bigelow you're up in the air about?