Part 1 (2/2)

MRS. LAWTY. Hardly. But to steal one's good name is to take one's cloak of righteousness, so to speak. And, oh, my dear, few people can face the world without it. The soul is so much more important than the body.

MRS. WARREN. One should keep _both_ properly clothed.

MRS. LAWTY. Yes ... though on the South Sea Islands the people wear nothing but gra.s.s skirts.

MRS. WARREN. One could hardly do that in England.

MRS. LAWTY. Oh, but the people there, in the South Seas, are like little children ... pure of mind. And so it is one of the very first rules of the ”Helping Hand Society” that no gossip shall pa.s.s our lips.

MRS. WARREN. Such a worthy organization. I am sure the ladies of Northampton are doing a n.o.ble work.

MRS. LAWTY. Oh, yes, indeed, Mrs. Warren. Why, only last week we sent off a large box of soap to the natives of East Africa and now we are getting a box of napkins and tablecloths ready. We are doing such splendid work for our less fortunate brothers and sisters in a far land.

MRS. WARREN. Brothers and sisters! One hardly feels that way toward them, Mrs. Lawty. I am told they are quite black.

MRS. LAWTY. Nevertheless they are Gaud's creatures.

MRS. WARREN. My dear, I shall have Clara make you a hot cup of tea. It will rest you. (_She calls_) Clara ... Clara!

MRS. LAWTY. Oh, no, thank you ... really. I mustn't stop. I always like to get to the society meetings early ... otherwise one misses so much that is interesting. (_She rises._)

(_CLARA appears._)

MRS. WARREN. Never mind, Clara. (_CLARA starts to go._) Oh, Clara, Clara----

CLARA. Yes, ma'am.

MRS. WARREN. Clara, will you put the water on to boil? And make the tea rather strong ... but not too strong ... just so.

CLARA. Yes, ma'am. (_She goes out._)

MRS. LAWTY. By the way, have you met the new doctor and his wife, Mrs.

Warren?

MRS. WARREN. Yes, I have called on Mrs. Hunter.

MRS. LAWTY. (_She sits down again_) Oh, really? How interesting.

MRS. WARREN. But, of course, Betty knows both of them. I must call on Mrs. Hunter again. But I get out so seldom now ... so seldom. I am so afraid to walk on the new ... pavement, I believe they call it. Betty is very fond of them both ... the Hunters, I mean.

MRS. LAWTY. Quite ... though Mrs. Romney told Mrs. Pickering who told me that the Hunters did not get along well together. It seems she is a Church of England woman while the doctor is the son of a Scotch Presbyterian, so of course----

MRS. WARREN. Though I believe they have been married all of five or six years.

MRS. LAWTY. Oh, really, I did not know that. How interesting! I must tell Mrs. Romney. But Mrs. Lawer told me that the doctor calls Mrs.

Hunter ”Dearest” ... in public!

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