Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honor Part 32

I don't know what I should do if she sent me about my business. I'd rather continue in this awful uncertainty than lose all hope for ever.

FOULDES.

By George. You're pretty far gone, my son. The lover who's diffident is in a much worse way than the lover who protests.

LADY MERESTON.

[_With a little laugh._] I must say it amuses me that Lady Frederick should have had both my brother and my son dangling at her skirts. Your respective pa.s.sions are separated by quite a number of years.

MERESTON.

Lady Frederick has already told me of that incident.

FOULDES.

With the usual indiscretion of her s.e.x.

MERESTON.

It appears that she was very unhappy and you, with questionable taste, made love to her.

FOULDES.

Do your best not to preach at me, dear boy. It reminds me of your lamented father.

MERESTON.

And at last she promised to go away with you. You were to meet at Waterloo Station.

FOULDES.

Such a draughty place for an a.s.signation.

MERESTON.

Your train was to start at nine, and you were going to take the boat over to the Channel Isles.

FOULDES.

Lady Frederick has a very remarkable memory. I remember hoping the sea wouldn't be rough.

MERESTON.

And just as the train was starting her eye fell on the clock. At that moment her child was coming down to breakfast and would ask for her.

Before you could stop her she'd jumped out of the carriage. The train was moving, and you couldn't get out, so you were taken on to Weymouth--alone.

LADY MERESTON.

You must have felt a quite egregious a.s.s, Paradine.

FOULDES.

I did, but you need not rub it in.

LADY MERESTON.

Doesn't it occur to you, Charlie, that a woman who loves so easily can't be very worthy of your affection?

MERESTON.

But, my dear mother, d'you think she cared for my uncle?

FOULDES.

What the d.i.c.kens d'you mean?

MERESTON.

D'you suppose if she loved you she would have hesitated to come? D'you know her so little as that? She thought of her child only because she was quite indifferent to you.

FOULDES.

[_Crossly._] You know nothing about it, and you're an impertinent young jackanapes.

LADY MERESTON.

My dear Paradine, what can it matter if Lady Frederick was in love with you or not?

FOULDES.

[_Calming down._] Of course it doesn't matter a bit.

LADY MERESTON.

I have no doubt you mistook wounded vanity for a broken heart.

FOULDES.

[_Acidly._] My dear, you sometimes say things which explain to me why my brother-in-law so frequently abandoned his own fireside for the platform of Exeter Hall.

MERESTON.

It may also interest you to learn that I am perfectly aware of Lady Frederick's financial difficulties. I know she has two bills falling due to-morrow.

FOULDES.

She's a very clever woman.

MERESTON.