Waste Part 12

give responsibility ... give the children power.

WEDGECROFT. [_Disposed to whistle._] Those statutes will want some framing.

TREBELL. [_Relapsing to a chuckle._] There's an incidental change to foresee. Disappearance of the parson into the schoolmaster ... and the Archdeacon into the Inspector ... and the Bishop into--I rather hope he'll stick to his mitre, Gilbert.

WEDGECROFT. Some Ruskin will arise and make him.

TREBELL. [_As he paces the room and the walls of it fade away to him._] What a church could be made of the best brains in England, sworn only to learn all they could teach what they knew without fear of the future or favour to the past ... sworn upon their honour as seekers after truth, knowingly to tell no child a lie. It will come.

WEDGECROFT. A priesthood of women too? There's the tradition of service with them.

TREBELL. [_With the sourest look yet on his face._] Slavery ... not quite the same thing. And the paradox of such slavery is that they're your only tyrants.

[_At this moment the bell of the telephone upon the table rings. He goes to it talking the while._]

One has to be very optimistic not to advocate the harem. That's simple and wholesome.... Yes?

KENT _comes in._

KENT. Does it work?

TREBELL. [_Slamming down the receiver._] You and your new toy! What is it?

KENT. I'm not sure about the plugs of it ... I thought I'd got them wrong.

Mrs. O'Connell has come to see Miss Trebell, who is out, and she says will we ask you if any message has been left for her.

TREBELL. No. Oh, about dinner? Well, she's round at Mrs. Farrant's.

KENT. I'll ring them up.

_He goes back into his room to do so leaving_ TREBELL'S _door open.

The two continue their talk._

TREBELL. My difficulties will be with Percival.

WEDGECROFT. Not over the Church.

TREBELL. You see I must discover how keen he'd be on settling the Education quarrel, once and for all ... what there is left of it.

WEDGECROFT. He's not sectarian.

TREBELL. It'll cost him his surplus. When'll he be up and about?

WEDGECROFT. Not for a week or more.

TREBELL. [_Knitting his brow._] And I've to deal with Cantelupe. Curious beggar, Gilbert.

WEDGECROFT. Not my sort. He'll want some dealing with over your bill as introduced to me.

TREBELL. I've not cross-examined company promoters for ten years without learning how to do business with a professional high churchman.

WEDGECROFT. Providence limited ... eh?

_They are interrupted by_ MRS. O'CONNELL'S _appearance in the doorway.

She is rather pale, very calm; but there is pain in her eyes and her voice is unnaturally steady._

AMY. Your maid told me to come up and I'm interrupting business.... I thought she was wrong.

TREBELL. [_With no trace of self-consciousness._] Well ... how are you, after this long time?

AMY. How do you do? [_Then she sees_ WEDGECROFT _and has to control a shrinking from him._] Oh!

WEDGECROFT. How are you, Mrs. O'Connell?

TREBELL. Kent is telephoning to Frances. He knows where she is.

AMY. How are you, Dr. Wedgecroft? [_then to_ TREBELL.] Did you have a good holiday? London pulls one to pieces wretchedly. I shall give up living here at all.

WEDGECROFT. You look very well.

AMY. Do I!

TREBELL. A very good holiday. Sit down ... he won't be a minute.

_She sits on the nearest chair._

AMY. You're not ill ... interviewing a doctor?

TREBELL. The one thing Wedgecroft's no good at is doctoring. He keeps me well by sheer moral suasion.

KENT _comes out of his room and is off downstairs._

TREBELL _calls to him._

TREBELL. Mrs. O'Connell's here.

KENT. Oh! [_He comes back and into the room._] Miss Trebell hasn't got there yet.

WEDGECROFT _has suddenly looked at his watch._

WEDGECROFT. I must fly. Good bye, Mrs. O'Connell.

AMY. [_Putting her hand, constrained by its glove, into his open hand._] I am always a little afraid of you.

WEDGECROFT. That isn't the feeling a doctor wants to inspire.

KENT. [_To_ TREBELL.] David Evans--

TREBELL. Evans?