JOHN. It's a very fine shawl.
[He should not have spoken, for he has set JAMES'S volatile mind
working.]
JAMES. You may say so. What did you give her, Mr. Shand?
JOHN [suddenly deserted by God and man]. Me?
ALICK. Yes, yes, let's see it.
JOHN. Oh--I--
[He is not deserted by MAGGIE, but she can think of no way out.]
SYBIL [prompted by the impediment, which is in hiding, quite close].
Did he ... forget?
[There is more than a touch of malice in the question. It is a
challenge, and the Wylies as a family are almost too quick to accept
a challenge.]
MAGGIE [lifting the gage of battle]. John forget? Never! It's a
pendant, father.
[The impediment bolts. JOHN rises.]
ALICK. A pendant? One of those things on a chain?
[He grins, remembering how once, about sixty years ago, he and a lady
and a pendant--but we have no time for this.]
MAGGIE. Yes.
DAVID [who has felt the note of antagonism and is troubled]. You were
slow in speaking of it, Mr. Shand.
MAGGIE [This is her fight.] He was shy, because he thought you might
blame him for extravagance.
DAVID [relieved]. Oh, that's it.
JAMES [licking his lips]. Let's see it.
MAGGIE [a daughter of the devil]. Where did you put it, John?
[JOHN's mouth opens but has nothing to contribute.]
SYBIL [the impediment has stolen back again]. Perhaps it has been ...
mislaid.
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