AUNT. (_Reading note_) “Dear Miss Parker. May I have the pleasure of taking you and Miss Templar to Mrs. Clarence’s dance this evening”— HORACE. Capital! There is your escort. AUNT. “My car is quite at your disposal.” HORACE. And there’s your cab. Sublime Providence! AUNT. Did the gentleman come himself? BELLA. Yes, ma’m. He is waiting in the hall. (_MINNIE looks over letter._) AUNT. Show him in at once here. HORACE. Don’t bring him in here. He can stay in the hall. AUNT. Certainly not. Show him in here, Bella. (_Exit BELLA R._) HORACE. Well, who is my blessed preserver? AUNT. Mr. Dicey. HORACE. What, Arthur Dicey? That Stock Exchange fellow? AUNT. A charming young man. HORACE. A brainless idiot! AUNT. A perfect gentleman, and besides, I hear he is enormously rich. MINNIE. How kind and thoughtful of him! He always seems to be doing the right thing just at the right moment. HORACE. Minnie, I don’t at all care that you should go with this fellow to-night. He is not at all the kind of man I wish you to be seen going about with. MINNIE. He is always so attentive. HORACE. I dare say he is. I don’t choose that you go with him. AUNT. What dog-in-the-manger attitude is this? You won’t take her yourself nor let anyone else. HORACE. I have expressed my wish on the matter and I propose to have my way, so—— (_Enter BELLA, showing in MR. DICEY R._) BELLA. Mr. Dicey. AUNT. This is a most opportune kindness you are showing us, Mr. Dicey. We gladly accept your escort. (_Shakes hands._) MINNIE. (_Shaking hands_) You can hardly guess how much obliged we are to you. Thank you for thinking of us. DICEY. The pleasure is doubled if I am of real service. MINNIE. Somehow or other, we had forgotten to order a cab. AUNT. Yes. _We_ had forgotten! HORACE. I was just getting ready to run down the street after one. AUNT. So of course my nephew is very grateful to you. Aren’t you, Horace? Now he will be able to pursue his scientific studies without fear of interruption. DICEY. Aren’t you coming with us, Mr. Parker? HORACE. Well, I had not thought of doing so. MINNIE. If it had not been for you, Mr. Dicey, I doubt whether any of us would have gone. We were very nearly giving up going. DICEY. Have I really saved the situation for you? That is jolly good luck. May I claim an extra number of dances on the strength of it? MINNIE. As many as you wish. (_DICEY helps AUNT with her cloak._) DICEY. Thank you so much. MINNIE. Won’t you come, Horace? I hardly care to go without you. HORACE. Your dances are all booked, it seems. You have none left. MINNIE. Oh, yes, I have, for those who have the grace to ask for them. Mr. Dicey will have his fair share. He dances beautifully and our steps suit each other to perfection. HORACE. By which you mean to say you dance beautifully, too? MINNIE. No, I leave it to others to say that. (_Turns away L._) DICEY. And I wish to be the first to say it.