You’veburiedthe sun-clock? And dug up all thewrongclocks? [With a withering glance atEloise.] That’s how a smart man’s appreciated! What did you bury it for, Mr. Joyce?
[Eddygives the cuckoo clock toAlice.
Ian
It cannot live in this world where no one wants truth or feeling about truth. This is a world for clocks.
Mrs. Stubbs
Well,Iwant truth! And so does Johnnie Stubbs!If you’ll excuse my saying so, Mr. Joyce, after you’ve made a thing that’s right you oughtn’t to bury it, even if there is nobody to want it. And now thatIwant it—[Mrs. Stubbstakes the spade and begins to dig up the sun-dial.Iancannot resist this and helps her. He lifts the sun-dial, she brushes it off and he fits it to its place on the pedestal.] Now there it is, Mr. Joyce, and as good as if it had never seen the grave. [She looks at the setting sun.] And there’s time for it to make its shadow before this sun has gone.
Ian
The simple mind has beauty.
Eloise
[Coming to him.] I want to be simpler.
Mrs. Stubbs
Now what time would you say it was, Mr. Joyce?
Ian
I would say it was twenty minutes of seven, Mrs. Stubbs.
Mrs. Stubbs
[Looking atEddyandAliceand the cuckoo clock.] Andtheywould say it was twenty minutes past six! Well,Isay: let them that want sun time have sun time and them that want tick time have tick time.
[Annieappears at the door.
Annie
[In a flat voice.] It’s dinner time!
(Curtain)