The 'Mind the Paint' Girl Part 39

Oh, you are spoiling them.

THE BEARDED WAITER.

[_Giving some more gold pieces to LUIGI._] For you.

LUIGI.

[_Bowing low._] Thank you very much. [_With a polite grin, as he disposes of the coins in different pockets._] Hope you have enjoyed yourself, Captain.

THE BEARDED WAITER.

[_Speaking in the voice of JEYES._] Thoroughly. [_Quietly, between his teeth._] Warm work, though! [_Rising slowly, like a man with stiff joints._] I'll be off now, with your permission.

LUIGI.

See you at lunch, Captain?

JEYES.

Probably. [_Nodding._] Good-night. Good morning. [_He slouches away to the door on the left and there stops, listening. There is the sound of people approaching, singing uproariously and shouting and laughing._]

Hullo!

LUIGI.

[_At his elbow._] Ho, ho, ho, ho!

[_LUIGI goes out into the corridor and JEYES retreats behind the counter. The noise increases and presently FULKERSON rushes in, flouris.h.i.+ng his arms madly. He is followed by GLYNN and s.h.i.+RLEY who are carrying LILY upon their interlocked hands, and by PALK who is helping to support her. Then come HENEAGE and NITA, GRIMWOOD and DAPHNE, TAVISH and FLO, VON RETTENMAYER and ENID, DE CASTRO and GABRIELLE, ROPER and MRS. STIDULPH, FARNCOMBE and JIMMIE, BLAND and EVANGELINE, COOLING and SYBIL, and SMYTHE and OLGA. Singing the chorus of the "Mind the Paint" song, and dancing to it wildly, they circle the saloon twice, go out at the right-hand door at the back, return at the door on the left, and finally disappear through the double-door and along the landing. The waiters, who have brought up the rear of the procession, gather, with LUIGI, in the left-hand corner, clapping their hands, and STIDULPH returns, entering at the right-hand door at the back._

LILY.

[_Waving her bouquet and shrieking with laughter._] Ha, ha, ha, ha!

Don't drop me! Don't drop me!

HENEAGE AND GRIMWOOD.

[_Yelling._] Whoop! Whoop!

FULKERSON.

[_Deliriously, endeavouring to stand upon his head._] Wh-o-o-op!

JIMMIE.

[_Breaking from the rank and jumping on to the further settee-- singing._] "Mind the paint! Mind the paint! A girl is not a sinner just because she's not a saint!----"

LILY.

Ha, ha, ha! You'll drop me! Oh----!

[_As the procession pa.s.ses out of sight, followed by LUIGI and the waiters, JEYES departs at the door on the left and STIDULPH once more goes to the counter and lights a cigarette._

END OF THE SECOND ACT.

THE THIRD ACT

_The scene is LILY'S boudoir-- a room upon the second floor of her house, adjoining her bedroom. The decorations, though delicate, are gay, with a good deal of pink in them._

_In the wall facing the spectator are two doors, one on the left, the other in the centre. The left-hand door opens into the room from the landing, where the staircase is shown; the centre door admits to the bedroom. In the right-hand wall there are two sash-windows giving a view of the tops of trees growing in a square; in the opposite wall, the grate hidden by a low, painted screen, is the fireplace._

_A prettily designed "fitment" runs along the left-hand wall and the further wall, taking in the fireplace and doors as part of its scheme.

On either side of the fireplace there is a cupboard with drawers beneath it; between the door on the left and the door in the centre is a similar cupboard; and on the right of the centre door, extending to the right-hand wall, there is a wardrobe with sliding doors. The cupboard doors are glazed and curtained in pink silk._

_In the middle of the room, a little to the right, there is a large and comfortable settee, and on the left of the settee is a table littered with books, magazines, a scent-atomizer, a small silver-framed mirror, a case of manicure instruments, a box of cigarettes and a match-stand, and other odds and ends. Behind the table there is a fauteuil-stool, and on the right of the table a cosy arm-chair. A second arm-chair stands apart, between the table in the centre and the fireplace._

_On the extreme left of the room, on the nearer side of the fireplace, there is a box-ottoman; on the other side of the room, by the nearer window, are a small writing-table and chair; standing across the right-hand corner, the key-board towards the further window, are a cottage-piano and a music-stool; and at the back of the piano there is another small chair, with some soiled gloves upon it._

_A quant.i.ty of music is heaped untidily on the top of the piano; one of the wardrobe doors is open, revealing some dresses hanging within; and the edge of a lace petticoat, with its insertion of coloured ribbon, peeps out from under the carelessly-closed lid of the box-ottoman. Two milliner's hat-boxes are on the floor by the ottoman, and a pair of satin slippers are lying, one here, one there, under the centre table._

_The window-blinds are down but the daylight is seen through them._

[_The door on the left opens and LILY, still carrying her bouquet, enters and makes straight for the windows and draws up the blinds, letting in the clear, morning light. She is followed by ENID, GABRIELLE, DAPHNE, and JIMMIE and they by FARNCOMBE, VON RETTENMAYER, DE CASTRO, ROPER, FULKERSON, and BLAND. They are all pale and haggard, and slightly dishevelled, but everybody seems broad awake except DAPHNE, who is borne down by sleepiness. Some of the men are smoking._

LILY.

[_Laying her bouquet upon the table in the centre as she crosses to the windows-- to the women._] Come in, dears; [_drawing up the blind of the nearer window_] come in, boys. Take off your things for a minute.

FULKERSON.

[_Whose inebriety has reached the argumentative stage._] Working cla.s.shes! Don' talk t' me 'bout th' working cla.s.shes!

JIMMIE.

H's.h.!.+ Shut up, Bertie.

FULKERSON.

I'm s'h'ick o' th' ve'y mention o' th' name-- working cla.s.shes!

JIMMIE.

Sit on his head, somebody. We shall wake Ma and the servants.

LILY.