| (1, 0) 1 | SCENE. |
| (1, 0) 2 | A tailor's worh-room in Josiah Jones's house. |
| (1, 0) 3 | Merlin─a spare, active, middle-aged man, wilh keen, twinkling eyes and a humorous mouth, is seen sitting tailor fashion on a table, sewing. |
| (1, 0) 4 | He has a habit of talking to himself. |
| (Merlin) {Holding up a partly-made pair of black trousers.} | |
| (Merlin) |Arglw'dd|! how you made me jump! | |
| (1, 0) 19 | Enter Josiah Jones, a biggish man of middle age, with rather long black hair, of well-to-do, sleek appearance and insinuating manner. |
| (1, 0) 20 | His eyes arc deadly observant, and he often indulges in a deprecating wave of the hand and a disarming chuckle. |
| (1, 0) 21 | He is dressed in black, and walks quietly in rubber-heeled bools.) |
| (Merlin) {Unaware of Josiah's presence.} | |
| (Merlin) It is dinner time. | |
| (1, 0) 101 | Enter Morgan, a young man, of prepossessing appearance, of the lower middle class, dressed in dark blue lounge suit. |
| (1, 0) 102 | Looks at Josiah Jones im a nervous, hesitating way, and pauses near the door. |
| (Morgan) {Apologetically.} | |
| (Josiah) Nothing personal, Mr. Morgans. | |
| (1, 0) 114 | Merlin polishes his speclacles in the background, talking to himself and listening shrewdly. |
| (Morgan) {Earnestly.} | |
| (Morgan) Indeed, I am trying my best, Mr. Jones. | |
| (1, 0) 122 | Nan, a very pretty girl, of 20 or so, dressed in the prettiest Welsh flannel costume, bursts into the room like a ray of sunshine, and, before she sees her father aud Morgan, who are standing out of sight, runs across to Merlin, who has his back to her, and, with delightful familiarity, puts her hands over his eyes. |
| (Nan) {Merrily.} | |
| (Merlin) I keep your bissness together for you when you go off on the spree. | |
| (1, 0) 140 | Morgan and Nan edge away stealthily, watch Josiah Jones, and whisper eagerly to each other. |
| (Josiah) Merlin! you ought to know better than to say such a thing─before my daughter, too. | |
| (Merlin) Where is the cask, Nan? | |
| (1, 0) 195 | Nan throws an adiew over her shoulder to Morgan, and she and Merlin go out laughing. |
| (Josiah) Indeed, it is hard to put up with Merlin, sometimes. | |
| (Josiah) Take my advice, and don't go to the wall as long as you can borrow £100 from a friend, at 6 per cent! | |
| (1, 0) 262 | Josiah goes out chuckling. |
| (1, 0) 263 | Morgan stands in the middlc of the room staring after him, a look of doubt stealing over his face. |
| (1, 0) 264 | Nan creeps into the room on tip-toe, smiling mischieviously, until she notices Morgan's attitude. |