Tonight after the Captain leaves you, if you like. But what is it you want to talk about?

LAVINIA — You’ll know soon enough!

CHRISTINE —(staring at her with a questioning dread — forcing a scornful smile ) You always make such a mystery of things, Vinnie. (She goes into the house and closes the door behind her. Seth comes forward from where he had withdrawn around the corner of the house. Lavinia makes a motion for him to follow her, and goes and sits on the bench at left. A pause. She stares straight ahead, her face frozen, her eyes hard. He regards her understandingly. )

LAVINIA —(abruptly ) Well? What is it about Captain Brant you want to warn me against? (then as if she felt she must defend her question from some suspicion that she knows is in his mind ) I want to know all I can about him because — he seems to be calling to court me.

SETH —(managing to convey his entire disbelief of this statement in one word ) Ayeh.

LAVINIA —(sharply ) You say that as if you didn’t believe me.

SETH — I believe anything you tell me to believe. I ain’t been with the Mannons for sixty years without learning that. (A pause. Then he asks slowly ) Ain’t you noticed this Brant reminds you of someone in looks?

LAVINIA —(struck by this ) Yes. I have — ever since I first saw him — but I’ve never been able to place who — Who do you mean?

SETH — Your Paw, ain’t it, Vinnie?

LAVINIA —(startled — agitatedly ) Father? No! It can’t be! (then as if the conviction were forcing itself on her in spite of herself ) Yes! He does — something about his face — that must be why I’ve had the strange feeling I’ve known him before — why I’ve felt —(then tensely as if she were about to break down ) Oh! I won’t believe it! You must be mistaken, Seth! That would be too —!

SETH — He ain’t only like your Paw. He’s like Orin, too — and all the Mannons I’ve known.

LAVINIA —(frightenedly ) But why — why should he —?

SETH — More speshully he calls to my mind your Grandpaw’s brother, David. How much do you know about David Mannon, Vinnie? I know his name’s never been allowed to be spoke among Mannons since the day he left — but you’ve likely heard gossip, ain’t you — even if it all happened before you was born.

LAVINIA — I’ve heard that he loved the Canuck nurse girl who was taking care of Father’s little sister who died, and had to marry her because she was going to have a baby; and that Grandfather put them both out of the house and then afterwards tore it down and built this one because he wouldn’t live where his brother had disgraced the family. But what has that old scandal got to do with —

SETH — Wait. Right after they was throwed out they married and went away. There was talk they’d gone out West, but no one knew nothin’ about ’em afterwards —‘ceptin’ your Grandpaw let out to me one time she’d had the baby — a boy. He was cussin’ it. (then impressively ) It’s about her baby I’ve been thinkin’, Vinnie.

LAVINIA —(a look of appalled comprehension growing on her face ) Oh!

SETH — How old is that Brant, Vinnie?

LAVINIA — Thirty-six, I think.

SETH — Ayeh! That’d make it right. And here’s another funny thing — his name. Brant’s sort of queer fur a name. I ain’t never heard tell of it before. Sounds made up to me — like short fur somethin’ else. Remember what that Canuck girl’s name was, do you, Vinnie? Marie Brantôme! See what I’m drivin’ at?

LAVINIA —(agitatedly, fighting against a growing conviction ) But — don’t be stupid, Seth — his name would be Mannon and he’d be only too proud of it.

SETH — He’d have good reason not to use the name of Mannon when he came callin’ here, wouldn’t he? If your Paw ever guessed —!

LAVINIA —(breaking out violently ) No! It can’t be! God wouldn’t let it! It would be too horrible — on top of —! I won’t even think of it, do you hear? Why did you have to tell me?

SETH —(calmingly ) There now! Don’t take on, Vinnie. No need gettin’ riled at me. (He waits — then goes on insistently. ) All I’m drivin’ at is that it’s durned funny — his looks and the name — and you’d ought fur your Paw’s sake to make sartin.

LAVINIA — How can I make certain?

SETH — Catch him off guard sometime and put it up to him strong — as if you knowed it — and see if mebbe he don’t give himself away. (He starts to go — looks down the drive at left. ) Looks like him comin’ up the drive now, Vinnie. There’s somethin’ about his walk calls back David Mannon, too. If I didn’t know it was him I’d think it was David’s ghost comin’ home. (He turns away abruptly. ) Wal, calc’late I better git back to work.