The Silver Shield Part 14

ALMA. Ned, it might please Sir Humphrey if you met him. Won't you come with me? (_going up, C._)

_Re-enter LUCY, R._

NED. Go with you? With pleasure.

LUCY. Going out, Ned?

ALMA. Only to meet Sir Humphrey.

NED. I shan't be twenty minutes. You don't mind?

LUCY. Oh, no.

NED. Come along, Alma! (_Exit through window; off, R._)

ALMA. See you again presently. (_Exit through window; off, R._)

LUCY. (_following them; then back to R.C._) See you again! When shall I see the last of you? "Mrs. Blake," "Alma" morning, noon, and night.

(_sits on chair, R._) Oh, what a wicked girl I am! how selfis.h.!.+ how ill-natured! No wonder Ned is tired of me. No wonder he likes other company. It's not his fault--it's mine. I'll write and tell him so.

(_rises; crosses to table, L., sits_) I'll sit down in his chair--steal some of his paper--and write with his pen! What's this--on the blotting pad? "Alma--dearest Alma." This is what he was writing--that was so important. "Dearest Alma!" That's why he wouldn't let me look at it. Here is the letter--a half written letter. "Willow Bank, Surbiton. My own dearest Alma." (_starts up_) I won't read it.

(_retreating_) I've no right. I daren't. (_pause_) I have a right! I will! (_darts forward and reads resolutely; sits_) "My own dearest Alma,--At last I have a moment to myself, to scribble a hasty answer to your note. Of course I will be there. I will make some excuse to get away. Oh, why have I to make excuses? Why have I a wife? She is a mere child, for whom I had a pa.s.sing fancy. Fool that I was, I thought that it would last for ever. Nothing can now remove the barrier between us. With my own hand I have destroyed my happiness." (_drops the sheet; turns; presses her hands against her temples; then tears off her wedding ring and flings it from her_) I will remove the barrier between them. I will leave his house! (_clasping her hands_) Oh, Ned, my husband--he's not mine, he's hers! I have no husband! Oh, Ned, Ned! come back to me! don't leave me desolate! (_staggers, and is about to fall. Re-enter TOM, dressed, through window, just in time to catch her in his arms_)

TOM. (_holding her_) Mrs. Chetwynd! Lucy!

_Re-enter SERVANT, R._

SERV. Dr. and Mrs. Dozey. (_seeing LUCY, runs to her a.s.sistance_)

_Enter DR. and MRS. DOZEY, R._

TOM. You'd better take Mrs. Chetwynd to her room. She's ill. (_SERVANT leads LUCY out, L., TOM follows to door, L._)

DR. _and_ MRS. D. (_looking at one another_) Hem!

TOM. The heat, I daresay.

BOTH. Hem!

TOM. It's lucky I was there or she'd have fallen. I'd better find Ned and tell him.

BOTH. Hem!

TOM. Have you both colds?

DR. Have you a cold, Diana?

MRS. D. No.

DR. Nor I.

BOTH. Hem!

TOM. Only two clerical sore throats? Beg pardon. (_Exit through window; off, L._)

_DR. and MRS. DOZEY stand looking at one another._

DR. I fear our advent was inopportune.

MRS. D. Then you observed----

DR. Nothing. I have mislaid my gla.s.ses.

MRS. D. What nonsense, Dionysius! there they are!

DR. There are epochs in existence when it is the duty of a charitable person to have mislaid his gla.s.ses.

MRS. D. Charity is a very excellent thing in its way. At the same time one can't always shut one's eyes. I'm sure I close mine as often as anybody; but I can't help observing what goes on.

DR. Did not Sir Humphrey lead us to infer that Mr. Potter once proposed for Mrs. Chetwynd?

MRS. D. But had backed out of it.

DR. The situation is extremely painful.

MRS. D. When one's asked out to dinner and one finds one's hostess reclining in the arms of one of the guests----

DR. The incident is calculated to impair the appet.i.te and cast a gloom around the prandial board.

MRS. D. Ill, forsooth! and the heat! But what can be expected of a scene-s.h.i.+fter?

DR. Painter, my dear, scene painter.

MRS. D. Painter. It's all the same.

DR. And of the lady's parentage!

MRS. D. Ah, me! (_sits on sofa and dozes off_)

DR. (_crosses to MRS. DOZEY_) Herein, Diana, is much food for thought.

Here is a sermon he who runs may read. Here is a subject which naturally resolves itself into six sections. Firstly---- (_MRS. DOZEY snores_) Asleep again!

ALMA. (_outside_) Follow your leader. I'll show you the way.

DR. Mrs. Blake's voice. On second thoughts I will not awaken Diana.

(_crosses, R._)

_Re-enter ALMA through window from R._