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قراءة كتاب Niobe, All Smiles A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts
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D., both talking; Hattie follows to door, mimicking them; then turns to Helen.
Hat. We ought to get our wraps on now. It’s a quarter to eight.
Hel. (going C.) How impatient you are!
Hat. No more so than you; only you think it clever to look as wooden as a Chinese idol.
Hel. Hattie! We’ll leave you behind if you’re not good.
Helen exits C. and R. up stairs.
Hat. (calling after her) You’d send me to bed without my supper too, if you could, only I have had it.
Car. (with pretended severity) Don’t be so forward, Hattie!
Carrie exits C. and R. up stairs; Corney and Beatrice enter from R. D., spooning.
Corn. Oh yes, Bea, if I asked you very sweetly, wouldn’t you? (Hattie gets in front of them.)
Bea. Here is Hattie?
Hat. (laughing with hands behind her) Disturbed again, eh? Poor dears. Can’t you get left to yourselves anywhere?
Corn. Yes, here—if you leave us. Get out.
Corney goes for Hattie C.; Beatrice drops down R. to couch and sits.
Hat. Now behave Corney, or I’ll tell Helen who put the photos in the album.
Corn. Be off, Miss Impudence—(runs her off upstairs R. C.) That girl’s a terror. (returns to Bea, speaking as he comes down) You can’t think Beatrice—(sits on couch) You can’t think.
Hat. (returning) You can think; we haven’t much time, Bea; you’ll be late.
Corn. Will you get out—(Corney chases her round table and up stairs C. and R.; he returns) She gets worse and worse! (looking back after Hattie.)
Bea. I didn’t see anything so dreadful in the photos, Corney; if you own up to them, I don’t mind.
Corn. Oh, well! If you don’t mind, I will!
Bea. I thought they couldn’t be poor Mr. Dunn’s; he looked so innocent.
Corn. (seated on couch R., laughing) Yes, Peter’s appearance does rather discount him.
Bea. It was too bad to infer they were his.
Corn. Oh, he doesn’t mind. We put everything on to Peter; and I’m so much afraid of your father’s displeasure; you don’t know the treasure you are Bea; and the fume a fellow gets in for fear of losing you. (with arm round Bea.)
Bea. Why should you be so anxious? If your past was only blameless.
Corn. (absent minded) Yes! If it only was!
Bea. Do you tell me it is not?
Corn. (quickly) No! Of course I don’t, you don’t think I’m such a jay—gay—gay deceiver? (turns slightly away) If we were only married. Then I shouldn’t have to be so careful.
Bea. Have you to be careful?
Corn. Of myself, yes! But then, you can take care of me; and I can be careful of you; and I shan’t have to invent stories about Art photographs, or French Novels.
Bea. Novels, Corney?
Corn. Though they’re not really mine; Innings brought them here.
Bea. We’ve not seen Mr. Innings lately.
Corn. Not for two or three days; he’s away on business.
Bea. I thought he had no business to be away upon.
Corn. No! he has no business to be away, when I want him here—that is—he isn’t away on his business. It’s business of mine.
Bea. (curiously) Business of yours?
Corn. Yes! well! pleasure more than business—when I say pleasure I mean business—I wanted a change—but I couldn’t spare the time—and Phil could—he took the change—it was really my change; for he paid the time before; you know how one fellow will take another fellow’s change. He’s a most obliging fellow.
Knock; Hattie runs down stairs.
Hat. Here’s Mr. Innings, Corney!
Hattie rushes off L.
Corn. Thank goodness—I was getting a bit mixed. (goes L. as Innings enters C. from L., Hattie following.) How are you, Phil?
Bea. Good evening, Mr. Innings!
Inn. Good evening, Miss Sillocks!
Innings down R.
Bea. Come Hattie!
Beatrice going up C.
Hat. (C., gushing at Innings) Oh, there’s heaps of time; it’s so rude to leave Mr. Innings.
Corn. (going up to Hattie) You haven’t a minute; the carriage is at the door now; I’ll do the polite to Innings.
Corney sees girls off C. R. up stairs and returns to Innings.
What kept you so long? I expected you yesterday!
Inn. (taking off gloves as he sits on couch) I had more to do than I thought. You said——
Corn. (C. anxiously) Never mind what I said; what have you to say? Your news?
Inn. Well! I went to Cambridge you know——
Corn. And you have come back, I know, but what did you do there? What have you discovered?
Inn. I found Ethel——
Corn. Good!
Inn. Was no longer there——
Corn. Then you didn’t find her?
Inn. (sitting on couch) No; nor the slightest trace of where she had gone.
Corn. (goes L. and up round table) Then she’ll turn up when least expected; what a confounded fool I was! If the