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]

(sternly)

Who ’s that out there? Who is it?

Mum! Who is it!

[''He clings to his mother afraid, as all turn to the door, and Ben Jordan steps into the room and faces them with a smile of reckless contempt. Ben is the black sheep of the Jordan family, years younger than any of the others, a wild, selfish, arrogant fellow, handsome but sulky and defiant. His clothes are cheap and dirty and he is rather pale and looks dissipated. He doesn’t speak but stands openly sneering at their look of astonishment''.

(quietly)

I ’m glad you ’ve come, Ben.

(contemptuously)

You are?

Yes, your mother ’s awful sick.

She ’s alive?

Yes.

Well— (He looks contemptuously about)

Nobody missin’. The Jordans are gathered again, handkerchiefs and all.

You ’ll be arrested soon as folks know you ’ve come.

(scornfully)

And I suppose you would n’t bail me out, would you, Henry?