Quality Street Part 11

PHOEBE. Aunt Susan, do not be angry with your Livvy--your Livvy, Aunt Susan. This gentleman says he is the dashing Mr. Brown, he has cards for us for the ball, Auntie. Of course we cannot go--we dare not go.

Oh, Auntie, hasten into your bombazine.

MISS SUSAN (_staggered_). Phoebe----

PHOEBE. Aunt Phoebe wants me to go. If I say she does you know she does!

MISS SUSAN. But my dear, my dear.

PHOEBE. Oh, Auntie, why do you talk so much. Come, come.

VALENTINE. I shall see to it, Miss Susan, that your niece has a charming ball.

PHOEBE. He means he will find me sweet partners.

VALENTINE. Nay, ma'am, I mean _I_ shall be your partner.

PHOEBE (_who is not an angel_). Aunt Susan, he still dances!

VALENTINE. _Still_, ma'am?

PHOEBE. Oh, sir, you are indeed dashing. Nay, sir, please not to scowl, I could not avoid noticing them.

VALENTINE. Noticing what, Miss Livvy?

PHOEBE. The grey hairs, sir.

VALENTINE. I vow, ma'am, there is not one in my head.

PHOEBE. He is such a quiz. I so love a quiz.

VALENTINE. Then, ma'am, I shall do nothing but quiz you at the ball.

Miss Susan, I beg you--

MISS SUSAN. Oh, sir, dissuade her.

VALENTINE. Nay, I entreat.

PHOEBE. Auntie!

MISS SUSAN. Think, my dear, think, we dare not.

PHOEBE (_shuddering_). No, we dare not, I cannot go.

VALENTINE. Indeed, ma'am.

PHOEBE. 'Tis impossible.

(_She really means it, and had not the music here taken an unfair advantage of her it is certain that_ MISS PHOEBE _would never have gone to the ball. In after years she and_ MISS SUSAN _would have talked together of the monstrous evening when she nearly lost her head, but regained it before it could fall off. But suddenly the music swells so alluringly that it is a thousand fingers beckoning her to all the b.a.l.l.s she has missed, and in a transport she whirls_ MISS SUSAN _from the blue and white room to the bed-chamber where is the bombazine_.

VALENTINE _awaits their return like a conqueror, until_ MISS LIVVY'S _words about his hair return to trouble him. He is stooping, gazing intently into a small mirror, extracting the grey hairs one by one, when_ PATTY _ushers in the sisters_ WILLOUGHBY _and_ MISS HENRIETTA.

MISS HENRIETTA _is wearing the new veil, which opens or closes like curtains when she pulls a string. She opens it now to see what he is doing, and the slight sound brings him to his feet._)

MISS HENRIETTA. 'Tis but the new veil, sir; there is no cause for alarm.

(_They have already learned from_ PATTY, _we may be sure, that he is in the house, but they express genteel surprise._)

MISS f.a.n.n.y. Mary, surely we are addressing the gallant Captain Brown!

VALENTINE. It is the Misses Willoughby and Miss Henrietta. 'Tis indeed a gratification to renew acquaintance with such elegant and respectable females.

(_The greetings are elaborate._)

MISS WILLOUGHBY. You have seen Miss Phoebe, sir?

VALENTINE. I have had the honour. Miss Phoebe, I regret to say, is now lying down with the headache. (_The ladies are too delicately minded to exchange glances before a man, but they are privately of opinion that this meeting after ten years with the dazzling_ BROWN _has laid_ MISS PHOEBE _low. They are in a twitter of sympathy with her, and yearning to see_ MISS SUSAN _alone, so that they may draw from her an account of the exciting meeting._) You do not favour the ball to-night?

MISS f.a.n.n.y. I confess b.a.l.l.s are distasteful to me.

MISS HENRIETTA. 'Twill be a mixed a.s.sembly. I am credibly informed that the woollen draper's daughter has obtained a card.

VALENTINE (_gravely_). Good G.o.d, ma'am, is it possible?

MISS WILLOUGHBY. We shall probably spend the evening here with Miss Susan at the card table.

VALENTINE. But Miss Susan goes with me to the ball, ma'am.

(_This is scarcely less exciting to them than the overthrow of the Corsican._)

VALENTINE. Nay, I hope there be no impropriety. Miss Livvy will accompany her.

MISS WILLOUGHBY (_bewildered_). Miss Livvy?

VALENTINE. Their charming niece.

(_The ladies repeat the word in a daze._)

MISS f.a.n.n.y. They had not apprised us that they have a visitor.

(_They think this reticence unfriendly, and are wondering whether they ought not to retire hurt, when_ MISS SUSAN _enters in her bombazine, wraps, and bonnet. She starts at sight of them, and has the bearing of a guilty person._)

MISS WILLOUGHBY (_stiffly_). We have but now been advertised of your intention for this evening, Susan.

MISS HENRIETTA. We deeply regret our intrusion.

MISS SUSAN (_wistfully_). Please not to be piqued, Mary. 'Twas so--sudden.

MISS WILLOUGHBY. I cannot remember, Susan, that your estimable brother had a daughter. I thought all the three were sons.

MISS SUSAN (_with deplorable readiness_). Three sons and a daughter.