Lady John. Has Miss Levering come down yet?
Butler (pausing C.). I haven't seen her, m'lady.
Lady John (almost sharply as Butler turns L.). I won't have her disturbed if she's resting. (To herself as she goes to writing-table.) She certainly needs it.
Butler. Yes, m'lady.
Lady John (sitting at writing-table, her back to front door). But I want her to know the moment she comes down that the new plans arrived by the morning post.
Butler (pausing nearly at the door). Plans, m'la——
Lady John. She'll understand. There they are.2 (Glancing at the clock.) It's very important she should have them in time to look over before she goes——
(Butler opens the door L.)
(Over her shoulder.) Is that Miss Levering?
Butler. No, m'lady. Mr. Farnborough.
[Exit Butler.
(Enter the Hon. R. Farnborough. He is twenty-six; reddish hair, high-coloured, sanguine, self-important.)
Farnborough. I'm afraid I'm scandalously early. It didn't take me nearly as long to motor over as Lord John said.
Lady John (shaking hands). I'm afraid my husband is no authority on motoring—and he's not home yet from church.
Farn. It's the greatest luck finding you. I thought Miss Levering was the only person under this roof who was ever allowed to observe Sunday as a real Day of Rest.
Lady John. If you've come to see Miss Levering——
Farn. Is she here? I give you my word I didn't know it.
Lady John (unconvinced). Oh?
Farn. Does she come every week-end?
Lady John. Whenever we can get her to. But we've only known her a couple of months.
Farn. And I have only known her three weeks! Lady John, I've come to ask you to help me.
Lady John (quickly). With Miss Levering? I can't do it!
Farn. No, no—all that's no good. She only laughs.
3
Lady John (relieved). Ah!—she looks upon you as a boy.
Farn (firing up). Such rot! What do you think she said to me in London the other day?
Lady John. That she was four years older than you?
Farn. Oh, I knew that. No. She said she knew she was all the charming things I'd been saying, but there was only one way to prove it—and that was to marry some one young enough to be her son. She'd noticed that was what the most attractive women did—and she named names.
Lady John (laughing). You were too old!
Farn. (nods). Her future husband, she said, was probably just entering Eton.
Lady John. Just like her!
Farn. (waving the subject away). No. I wanted to see you about the Secretaryship.
Lady John. You didn't get it, then?
Farn. No. It's the grief of my life.
Lady John. Oh, if you don't get one you'll get another.
Farn. But there is only one.
Lady John. Only one vacancy?
Farn. Only one man I'd give my ears to work for.
Lady John (smiling). I remember.
Farn. (quickly). Do I always talk about Stonor? Well, it's a habit people have got into.
Lady John. I forget, do you know Mr. Stonor personally, or (smiling) are you just dazzled from afar?
Farn. Oh, I know him. The trouble is he doesn't know me. If he did he'd realise he can't be sure of winning his election without my valuable services.
Lady John. Geoffrey Stonor's re-election is always a foregone conclusion.
4
Farn. That the great man shares that opinion is precisely his weak point. (Smiling.) His only one.
Lady John. You think because the Liberals swept the country the last time——
Farn. How can we be sure any Conservative seat is safe after——
(As Lady John smiles and turns to her papers.)
Forgive me, I know you're not interested in politics qua politics. But this concerns Geoffrey Stonor.
Lady John. And you count on my being interested in him like all the rest of my sex.
Farn. (leans forward). Lady John, I've heard the news.
Lady John. What news?
Farn. That your little niece—the Scotch heiress—is going to become Mrs. Geoffrey Stonor.
Lady John. Who told you that?
Farn. Please don't mind my knowing.
Lady John (visibly perturbed). She had set her heart upon having a few days with just her family in the secret, before the flood of congratulations breaks loose.
Farn. Oh, that's all right. I always hear things before other people.
Lady John. Well, I must ask you to be good enough to be very circumspect. I wouldn't have my niece think that I——
Farn. Oh, of course not.
Lady John. She will be here in an hour.
Farn. (jumping up delighted). What? To-day? The future Mrs. Stonor!
Lady John (harassed). Yes. Unfortunately we had one or two people already asked for the week-end——
5
Farn. And I go and invite myself to luncheon! Lady John, you can buy me off. I'll promise to remove myself in five minutes if you'll——
