THE NEW WOMAN

AN ORIGINAL COMEDY IN FOUR ACTS



BY

SYDNEY GRUNDY

LONDON
PRINTED AT THE CHISWICK PRESS
1894

CHARACTERS.

Acts 1 and 2: At Gerald Cazenove’s.

Act 3: Drawing-room at Lady Wargrave’s.

Act 4: An Orchard at Mapledurham.

THE NEW WOMAN.

ACT I.

Scene.—Gerald Cazenove’s Chambers. A sitting-room, somewhat effeminately decorated. The furniture of the boudoir type, several antimacassars and a profusion of photographs and flowers. The main entrance, R. at back, in the flat. Doors, R. and L., window, L. of flat.

A knock is heard off, as curtain rises. Enter Wells, L., crosses stage and opens door in flat. Enter Colonel Cazenove and Sylvester.

COLONEL.

Is my nephew at home?

WELLS.

No, Colonel; but I expect him every moment.

COLONEL.

Very well; I’ll wait. [Exit Wells, door in flat.] Bah! what a stench of flowers! [Opens window and throws out a bunch of lilies standing on the table below.] Sit down, Sylvester—if you can find a chair to carry twelve stone.

SYLVESTER.

Really, I feel a sort of trespasser.

COLONEL.

Sit down.

SYLVESTER [sits].

I don’t know Cazenove very well——

COLONEL.

I’m much in the same case. Since he came up to town, I’ve only called upon him once before. By Jove, it was enough. Such a set as I met here!

SYLVESTER.

I understood that he was up the river.

COLONEL.

Came back yesterday. Hope it’s done him good. After all, he’s my nephew, and I mean to knock the nonsense out of him.

SYLVESTER.

Colonel, you’re very proud of him; and you have every reason to be. From all I hear, few men have won more distinction at Oxford.

COLONEL [pleased].

Proud of him? My dear Sylvester, that boy has more brains in his little finger than I have—gout. He takes after his aunt Caroline. You remember Caroline?

SYLVESTER.

Oh, I remember Lady Wargrave well.

COLONEL.

Wonderful woman, sir—a heart of gold—and a head—phew! Gerald takes after her. At Oxford, he carried everything before him.

SYLVESTER [laughing].

And now these women carry him behind them!

COLONEL.

But he’s a Cazenove! He’ll come right side up. We Cazenoves always do. We may go under every now and then, but we come up again! It’s in the blood.

SYLVESTER.

According to my wife—and Agnes is a clever woman in her way——

COLONEL.

Don’t know her.

SYLVESTER.

His cultivated spirit and magnetic intellect are one of the brightest hopes for the social progress of our time—[Laughs.] whatever that may mean!

COLONEL.

Does it mean anything? That is the sort of jargon Gerald was full of, when I saw him last. But he’ll get over it. Intellectual measles. Oxford’s a fine place, but no mental drainage.

SYLVESTER.

I can form no opinion. I hadn’t the advantage of a university training.

COLONEL.

I had. I was rusticated. We Cazenoves always were—till Gerald’s time. But he’ll redeem himself. We Cazenoves have always been men, except one. That’s my sister, Caroline; and, by Jove, she’s the next best thing—a woman.

[Rising, in his enthusiasm—the antimacassar slips on to the seat.

SYLVESTER.

A real woman.

COLONEL.

Caroline’s a heart of gold——

SYLVESTER.

Yes, so you said.

COLONEL.

Did I? I beg your pardon. [Sits on the antimacassar,