Three Plays by Granville-Barker - novelonlinefull.com
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MRS. PRESTIGE. John . . kiss your aunt.
ABUD _goes to her, and she obliterates him in an embrace_.
GEORGE. [_To his father._] Sense of humour . . Sense of humour!
LADY LEETE. Snuff.
_But no one heeds her this time._
CARNABY. It doesn't matter.
GEORGE. Smile. Let's be helpless gracefully.
CARNABY. There are moments when I'm not sure.
GEORGE. It's her own life.
TOZER _staggers from the dining-room drunker than ever. He falls against the bal.u.s.ter and waves his arms._
MR. TOZER. Silence there for the corpse!
MR. CROWE. You beast!
MR. TOZER. Respect my cloth . . Mr. Prestige.
MR. CROWE. That's not my name.
MR. TOZER. I'll have you to know that I'm Sir George Leete's baronet's most boon companion and her la'ship never goes nowhere without me. [_He subsides into a chair._]
LADY LEETE. [_Tearfully._] Snuff.
_From the dining-room comes_ ANN; _her head bent. She is crossing the hall when_ SARAH _follows, calling her_.
SARAH. Ann!
ANN _turns back to kiss her. The rest of the company stand gazing._ SIR GEORGE _gives snuff to_ LADY LEETE.
ANN. Good-bye, Sally.
SARAH. [_In a whisper._] Forget us.
GEORGE. [_Relieving his feelings._] Good-bye, everybody . . good-bye, everything.
ABUD _goes to the front door and opening it stands waiting for her. She goes coldly, but timidly to her father, to whom she puts her face up to be kissed._
ANN. Good-bye, Papa.
CARNABY. [_Quietly, as he kisses her cheek._] I can do without you.
SIR GEORGE LEETE. [_Raging at the draught._] Shut that door.
ANN. I'm gone.
_She goes with her husband._ MRS. OPIE _comes hurriedly out of the dining-room, too late_.
MRS. OPIE. Oh!
DR. REMNANT. Run . . Mrs. Opie.
CARNABY. There has started the new century!
MRS. OPIE _opens the front door to look after them_.
SIR GEORGE LEETE. [_With double energy._] Shut that door.
LADY LEETE _sneezes and then chokes. There is much commotion in her neighbourhood._
SIR GEORGE. Now she's hurt again.
DOLLY. Water!
MR. CROWE. Brandy!
SARAH. [_Going._] I'll fetch both.
GEORGE. We must all die . . some day.
MR. TOZER. [_Who has struggled up to see what is the matter._] And go to--
DR. REMNANT. h.e.l.l. You do believe in that, Mr. Toper.
MRS. OPIE. [_Fanning the poor old lady._] She's better.
CARNABY. [_To his guests._] Gentlemen . . punch.
PRESTIGE _and_ SMALLPEICE; MRS. PRESTIGE, GEORGE _and_ DOLLY _move towards the dining-room_.
MR. PRESTIGE. [_To_ SMALLPEICE.] You owe all this to me.
MR. CROWE. Dolly . . I'm going.
MRS. PRESTIGE. [_To her husband as she nods towards_ CARNABY.] Nathaniel . . look at 'im.
GEORGE. [_To his father-in-law._] Must we come too?
MRS. PRESTIGE. [_As before._] I can't help it . . a sneerin' carpin'
cavillin' devil!
