Lord W. What?  Oh!  I say!  Bring them in at once.  Why—­they’re the hub of the whole thing.

James. [Going] Very good, my Lord.

Lady W. I am sorry.  I’d no notion; and they’re such dears always.

Miss M. I must tell you what one of them said to me.  I’d told him not to use such bad language to his wife.  “Don’t you worry, Ma!” he said, “I expert you can do a bit of that yourself!”

Lady W. How awfully nice!  It’s so like them.

Miss M. Yes.  They’re wonderful.

Lord W. I say, why do we always call them they?

Lady W. [Puzzled] Well, why not?

Lord W. They!

Miss M. [Struck] Quite right, Lord William!  Quite right!  Another species.  They!  I must remember that.  They! [She passes on.]

Lady W. [About to follow] Well, I don’t see; aren’t they?

Lord W. Never mind, old girl; follow on.  They’ll come in with me.

     [Miss Munday and lady William pass through the double doors.]

Poulder. [Announcing] Some sweated workers, my Lord.

[There enter a tall, thin, oldish woman; a short, thin, very lame man, her husband; and a stoutish middle-aged woman with a rolling eye and gait, all very poorly dressed, with lined and heated faces.]

Lord W. [Shaking hands] How d’you do!  Delighted to see you all. 
It’s awfully good of you to have come.

Lame M. Mr. and Mrs. Tomson.  We ’ad some trouble to find it.  You see, I’ve never been in these parts.  We ’ad to come in the oven; and the bus-bloke put us dahn wrong.  Are you the proprietor?

Lord W. [Modestly] Yes, I—­er—­

Lame M. You’ve got a nice plyce.  I says to the missis, I says: 
“’E’s got a nice plyce ’ere,” I says; “there’s room to turn rahnd.”

Lord W. Yes—­shall we—?

Lame M. An’ Mrs. Annaway she says:  “Shouldn’t mind livin ’ere meself,” she says; “but it must cost’im a tidy penny,” she says.

Lord W. It does—­it does; much too tidy.  Shall we—?

Mrs. Ann. [Rolling her eye] I’m very pleased to ’ave come.  I’ve often said to ’em:  “Any time you want me,” I’ve said, “I’d be pleased to come.”

Lord W. Not so pleased as we are to see you.

Mrs. Ann.  I’m sure you’re very kind.

James. [From the double doors, through which he has received a message] Wanted for your speech, my Lord.

Lord W. Oh!  God!  Poulder, bring these ladies and gentleman in, and put them where everybody can—­where they can see everybody, don’t you know.

     [He goes out hurriedly through the double doors.]

Lame M. Is ’e a lord?