John ! '' Osborne half turned . `` You 'll be up again soon , wo n't you ? '' His face hardened . `` I 'll come to say goodbye before I go , of course , '' he answered shortly . He came face to face with Lee at the gate , where the latter was tying his sleek chestnut to a poplar . He acknowledged his rival 's condescending nod with a scowl . Lee looked after him with a satisfied smile . `` Poor beggar ! '' he muttered . `` He feels pretty cheap I reckon . I 've spoiled his chances in this quarter . Old Abe does n't want any poverty-stricken hangers-on about his place and Nan wo n't dream of taking him when she knows he has n't a roof over his head . '' He stopped for a chat with old Abe . Old Abe approved of Bryan Lee . He was a son-in-law after old Abe 's heart . Meanwhile , Nan had seated herself at the pantry window and was ostentatiously hemming towels in apparent oblivion of suitor No. 2 . Nevertheless , when Bryan came up she greeted him with an unusually sweet smile and at once plunged into an animated conversation . Bryan had not come to ask her to go to the picnic -- business prevented him from going . But he meant to find out if she were going with John Osborne .
As Nan was serenely impervious XXXXX all hints , he was finally forced to ask her bluntly if she was going to the picnic .
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