The Drone Part 10

MARY. Yes, yes. Uncle Dan wants it. (KATE _fetches a tattered volume from the dresser and hands it to_ DANIEL. DANIEL _opens it, and reads while the two girls peer over his shoulder._)

DANIEL (_reading slowly_). "The Child's Educator. A series of conversations between Charles and his father regarding the natural philosophy, as revealed to us, by the Very Reverend Ezekiel Johnston."

KATE. (_much interested_). Aye. Just go on till you see Mr. Dan. Its the queerest conversation between an old lad and his son ever you heard tell of.

DANIEL (_reading_). Ah! "The simple forms of machines. The lever, the wedge, the inclined plane--Father--and here we come to further consider the application of this principle, my dear Charles, to what is known as the differential wheel and axle. Um Charles--Father--Charles.

Father." (_He looks up despairingly at_ MARY.) No good, my dear. Out of date. (_He, however, resumes reading the book carefully._)

KATE (_nudging_ MARY, _and pointing to door into rooms_). She's going into all the cupboards and drawers, and looking at everything. (_She turns to go back and opens the door to pa.s.s through._) I never seen such a woman.

MARY (_raising her voice so as to let_ SARAH _hear her_). Just keep an eye on her, Kate, and see she doesn't take anything.

DANIEL. I might get something out of this. Atmosphere. Pressure.

MARY. Uncle Dan. (_He pays no attention, but is absorbed in the book_). Uncle Dan, I'm going down the loaning a pace. Alick said he might be back, and I think--(_she sees he is not listening, and slips back to look over his shoulder._)

DANIEL (_reading_). Charles. And now my dear father, after discussing in such clear and lucid terms the use of the barometer, and how it is constructed, could you tell me or explain the meaning of the word "pneumatic."

MARY (_going towards yard door_). Good luck, Uncle Danny. I'm away.

(_She goes out._)

DANIEL. There's not much here about bellows. (_Hopelessly._) I wish I had made up this subject a little better. (KATE _comes in evidently much perturbed and angry._)

KATE. The divil take her and them remarks of hers. Who gave her the right to go searching that way, I wonder? Where's the silver kept, and was it locked, and how many spoons was there, and why weren't they better polished; and part of the china broke.

SARAH (_coming to door and speaking. As soon as_ DANIEL _hears her voice he hurriedly retreats across to the workshop._) Where do you keep the knives and forks?

KATE. You don't want forks for the tea.

SARAH. I want to count them.

Kate (_in amazement_). Oh, G.o.d save us! You'd think there was a pross on the house! (_She follows_ SARAH _in through door_ MACKENZIE _comes in, followed by_ JOHN, _then_ ANDY.)

MACKENZIE. And it was a great idea, you know. The steam pa.s.sed through the condenser, and the exhaust was never open to the atmosphere.

JOHN (_evidently much impressed, and repeating the word in a wondering manner_) Aye. The exhaust!

MACKENZIE. Aye. The exhaust. But now I'm verra anxious to hear your brother explaining what he's made out about the bellows. Its the small things like that you ken that a man makes a fortune of, not the big ones.

JOHN (_impressed_). Do you think that now?

MACKENZIE. You know I take a particular interest in bellows myself. I tried my hand a good while working out a new kind of bellows, and I flatter myself that I know something about the subject.

JOHN. Aye. (_Looking round._) Where's Daniel? Daniel! Are you there, Daniel? (DANIEL _comes out and stands near the door._) You could maybe bring them plans out you're working at and explain it to them now, Daniel. Eh? And wait, Sarah wants to hear it too. (_Calling._) Are you there, Sarah?

DANIEL (_seating himself sadly_). Aye. She's in there somewhere taking stock.

JOHN (_going next door to rooms_). Are you there, dear? (SARAH _comes out._) Daniel's going to explain the thing to us, and you wanted to hear about it. Didn't you?

SARAH. I'm just dying to know all about it. (_She seats herself to the right at back._ ANDY _sits on one side of the table and_ MACKENZIE _at the other, expectantly, while_ JOHN _goes over to the fireplace almost opposite his brother._) You know, Mr. Daniel, that's one thing we want very bad in our house--a good fan bellows.

DANIEL. They are very useful, very.

JOHN. Aye. They are that. (_To_ SARAH). He has a good head on him, Daniel. Eh? (_To_ DANIEL.) Now go on and make it very plain so that every one can follow you. Bring out the plans and show us.

DANIEL (_uneasily._) I can explain it better without them. (_After a pause._) Well, I suppose this subject of bellows would come under the heading of pneumatics in natural philosophy.

JOHN. Oh, now, don't be going off that way. Could you not make it plainer nor that?

DANIEL (_appealingly_). Well. Could I be much plainer, Mr. Mackenzie?

MACKENZIE (_cynically_). I'm here to discuss fan bellows, not pneumatics.

DANIEL (_sotto voce_). D----n him. (_He pulls himself together._) Well. Then I suppose the first thing is--well--to know what is a bellows.

ANDY. Aye. Man, Daniel, you start off just the same as the clergy.

That's the way they always goes on expounding things to you.

SARAH (_severely_). Don't be interrupting, Andy.

MACKENZIE (_sneeringly_). Well, I think everyone here knows what a bellows is.

DANIEL. Everyone here? Do you, John?

JOHN. Aye. I would like, Daniel, to hear right what a bellows is. I mean I can see the thing blowing up a fire when you use it, any man could see that--but its the workings of it. What's the arrangements and internal works of the bellows now, Daniel?

DANIEL. Well, you push the handles together in an ordinary bellows and--and the air--blows out. (_Seeing that this statement is received coldly._) Now, why does it blow out?

JOHN (_disappointedly_). Because it's pushed out of course. There's no sense in asking that sort of a question.

DANIEL. Well, there's a flap on the bellows--a thing that moves up and down. Well, that flap has all to do with pus.h.i.+ng the air.

JOHN. Maybe this scientifican business is uninteresting to you, Sarah, is it?

DANIEL (_brightening up at the suggestion_). I'm sure it is. Perhaps we better stop.

SARAH (_smiling grimly_). Oh, not at all. I want to hear more.

MACKENZIE. You're wasting a lot of my time, Mr. Murray. I came here to hear about a fan bellows.

DANIEL (_confusedly_). Oh, yes. Yes. Certainly. Fan bellows. There's a difference between a fan bellows and an ordinary bellows.

MARY (_opening door from yard and coming in_). Oh, Uncle Dan, are you explaining it to them. Did I miss much of it?

MACKENZIE. I don't think it matters much what time you come in during this.

JOHN (_impatiently_). Go on, Daniel.

DANIEL. It's very hard for me to go on with these constant interruptions. Well, I was just saying there was a difference between a fan bellows and an ordinary bellows.