The 'Mind the Paint' Girl Part 53

FARNCOMBE.

[_Heavily._] Escape?

LILY.

[_Leaving the door and advancing._] You-- you've heard what a cold-blooded, selfish wretch I am-- how I've treated Nicko!

FARNCOMBE.

[_Waving the idea away._] Oh----!

LILY.

[_Coming to him._] And you've seen what I'm like when I'm in a rage; you've seen what the genuine Lily Margaret Upjohn is, without her disguise. [_Looking up into his face pathetically._] Yes, that was _me_, Eddie, under the crust. Common as dirt, dear; common as dirt!

[_Holding the lapels of his coat._] Oh! Oh, you'll always remember me, with my eyes starting out of my head, spitting at Nicko! You'll always picture that horrible sight when you think of me.

FARNCOMBE.

You-- you were provoked; I-- I admired you for it.

LILY.

[_Tenderly._] Ah, you dear boy! [_In an altered tone._] Eddie----

FARNCOMBE.

Yes?

LILY.

Had you-- a little hope-- that, after all, I might turn your offer over in my mind and-- and eventually----?

FARNCOMBE.

Yes-- yes.

LILY.

[_With a catch in her breath._] Ah----! [_In a whisper._] I-- I'll tell you something.

FARNCOMBE.

What?

LILY.

[_In his ear._] I _might_ have, if-- if you'd persisted.

FARNCOMBE.

[_Groaning._] Oh-h-h-h!

LILY.

[_Retreating a step or two._] Thank G.o.d Nicko came along! Thank G.o.d Nicko came along! _What_ was it his mother called us girls? A menace to society; creatures to be dreaded, and prayed against! You see I was right in wis.h.i.+ng to protect you for your mammy's sake as well as your own. But, oh-- thank G.o.d Nicko came along! [_He sits suddenly upon the settee and covers his face with his hands. She returns to him quickly._] Ah, don't do that; don't do that! [_Touching his hands._]

Eddie! Eddie! I'm not worth it. Eddie! [_With an effort, he lifts his head._] Listen. _This_ is what I want to say to you. Don't come near me any more; you mustn't. And don't come to the theatre again either.

If I thought you were sitting in front, I-- I'm sure I couldn't----!

[_Entreatingly._] Swear-- swear you'll keep away from me, and from the theatre! [_He nods._] And you'll never go to any supper or dinner or dance where you're likely to meet the other girls, will you? Eddie!

[_He shakes his head._] Swear! [_He rises and, as he does so, she grips the lapels of his coat again, her eyes blazing fiercely._] Oh!

Oh! If one of the other girls ever got hold of you, I-- I-- [_hissing into his face_] I'd kill her! [_She leaves him and goes to the door on the left and opens it._] Nicko! [_JEYES enters the room._] March, both of you! [_Exhausted._] I-- I'm pretty well baked. [_FARNCOMBE joins LILY and JEYES at the door and she stands between the two men looking from one to the other and taking a hand of each._] Ha, ha, ha! I've made the _pair_ of you precious miserable, if you only knew it. [_To JEYES._] The difference is that _he'll_ soon forget me, and _you_, with _me_ for a wife, are doomed for life. [_Putting her hands upon JEYES' shoulders._] Nicko----! [_She kisses him lightly and, having done so, asks him a question with her eyes. JEYES turns aside and she faces FARNCOMBE and offers him her lips. They kiss._] Good-bye.

[_After a moment's pause, to both of them._] Away with you! [_The two men go out and she follows them to the top of the stairs and watches them descend. Then she slowly comes back into the room and stands listening at the door. There is a distant sound._] Ah! [_Partly closing the door, she wanders about the room aimlessly for a while.

Then, impulsively, she runs to the further window, lifts the sash, and looks below._] Ah!... Ah!... [_Drawing back._] Ah-h-h-h----!

[_She shuts the window and comes to the settee and, sitting there, takes off her shoes. Then she goes down upon the floor inelegantly, hunts for her slippers, and puts them on. As she rises, the door on the left is pushed open and MRS. UPJOHN peeps in cautiously._

MRS. UPJOHN.

[_In a dressing-gown and with her hair, now very scanty, tightly screwed up._] Lil----?

LILY.

[_Stiffening herself and speaking in a cold, level voice._] Oh, I was just coming up to you, mother, to get you to undo me.

MRS. UPJOHN.

[_Bustling to LILY._] I didn't mean to, but I fell off. [_Unhooking LILY'S dress._] It _was_ the front-door I 'eard a minute ago, then? It gave me sech a start. [_In difficulties with the hooks._] Turn more to the light, dearie. These dressmakers do it a' purpose, I b'lieve. The 'ooks on that noo gown o' mine are a perfect myst'ry. Wot's _this_?

LILY.

[_Twisting her body._] Oh, don't fiddle so, mother!

MRS. UPJOHN.

You _did_ let 'im stay a time, Lil. 'Eaps to talk over, eh?

LILY.

[_Stonily._] Heaps. [_Trying to a.s.sist MRS. UPJOHN._] Oh----!

MRS. UPJOHN.

Well, dear; well, well! Tell me wot's took place. Don't keep me in suspense.

LILY.

I shan't tell you anything, mother, till I've had a sleep. I must go through the sheets first. [_Stamping her foot._] Oh, tear the thing; tear it!

MRS. UPJOHN.