Belinda: An April Folly in Three ActsMilne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)
General
Belinda: An April Folly in Three Acts
Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)
English drama -- 20th century
BELINDA. That's right. (BAXTER _rejoins_ DELIA. _Raising her
voice_.) Oh, Mr. Devenish.
(DEVENISH, _who is evidently much attracted by_ DELIA, _apologizes
to her and goes back between tree and hammock to_ L. _of_ BELINDA.)
DEVENISH. Yes, Mrs. Tremayne?
BELINDA (_secretly_). Not a word to her about Mr. Robinson. It must
be a surprise for her.
DEVENISH. Of course! I shouldn't dream----(_Indignantly_.)
Robinson! What an unsuitable name!
(BAXTER _and_ DELIA _are just going into the house_.)
BELINDA (_dismissing_ DEVENISH). All right, I'll catch you up.
(DEVENISH _goes after the other two_.)
(_Left alone_, BELINDA _laughs happily to herself, and then
begins to look rather aimlessly about her. She picks up her sunshade
and opens it. She comes to the hammock, picks out her handkerchief,
says, "Ah, there you are!" and puts it away. She goes slowly towards
the house_. TREMAYNE _enters from_ L. _and with his back to
the audience tries latch of imaginary gate below scenic painted
gateway_ L. BELINDA _turns her head, hearing imaginary click of the
garden gate_ L. _She comes slowly back_ R.C.)
BELINDA (_seeing_ TREMAYNE). Have you lost yourself, or something?
No; the latch is this side. ... Yes, that's right.
(TREMAYNE _comes in. He has been knocking about the world for
eighteen years, and is very much a man, though he has kept his manners.
His hair is greying a little at the sides, and he looks the forty-odd
that he is. Without his moustache and beard he is very different from
the boy_ BELINDA _married_.)
TREMAYNE ( _with his hat in his hand _). I'm afraid I'm
trespassing.
BELINDA (_winningly, moving down_ R. _a little _). But it's
such a pretty garden (_turns away, dosing her parasol_), isn't it?
(TREMAYNE, _half recognizing her, moves to back of hammock and leans
across to obtain a better view of her_.)
TREMAYNE (_rather confused_). I-I beg your pardon, I-er--- (_He
is wondering if it can possibly be she_. BELINDA _thinks his
confusion is due to the fact that he is trespassing, and hastens to put
him at his ease_.)
BELINDA. I should have done the same myself, you know.
TREMAYNE (_pulling himself together_). Oh, but you mustn't think I
just came in because I liked the garden---
BELINDA (_clapping her hands_). No; but say you do like it, quick.
TREMAYNE. It's lovely and--- (_He hesitates_.)
BELINDA (_hopefully_). Yes?
TREMAYNE (_with conviction_). Yes, it's lovely. BELINDA (_with
that happy sigh of hers_). O-oh! ... Now tell me what really did
happen?
TREMAYNE. I was on my way to Marytown---
BELINDA. To where?
TREMAYNE. Marytown.
BELINDA. Oh, you mean Mariton.
TREMAYNE. Do I?
BELINDA. Yes; we always call it Mariton down here. (_Earnestly_.)
You don't mind, do you?
TREMAYNE (_smiling_). Not a bit.
BELINDA. Just say it--to see if you've got it right.
TREMAYNE. Mariton.
BELINDA (_shaking her head_). Oh no, that's quite wrong. Try it
again (_With a rustic accent_.) Mariton.
TREMAYNE. Mariton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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