MRS. HOPE. Just like a man! What room I should like to know! COLONEL. Pink. MRS. HOPE. As if Molly wouldn't have the pink! COLONEL. [Ruefully.] I thought she'd have the blue! MRS. HOPE. You know perfectly well it's full of earwigs, Tom. I killed ten there yesterday morning. MISS BEECH. Poor creatures! MRS. HOPE. I don't know that I approve of this Mr. Lever's dancing attendance. Molly's only thirty-six. COLONEL. [In a high voice.] You can't refuse him a bed; I never heard of such a thing. MRS. HOPE. [Reading from the letter.] "This gold mine seems to be a splendid chance. [She glances at the COLONEL.] I've put all my spare cash into it. They're issuing some Preference shares now; if Uncle Tom wants an investment"--[She pauses, then in a changed, decided voice ]--Well, I suppose I shall have to screw him in somehow. COLONEL. What's that about gold mines? Gambling nonsense! Molly ought to know my views. MRS. HOPE. [Folding the letter away out of her consciousness.] Oh! your views! This may be a specially good chance. MISS BEECH. Ahem! Special case! MRS. HOPE. [Paying no attention.] I 'm sick of these 3 per cent. dividends. When you've only got so little money, to put it all into that India Stock, when it might be earning 6 per cent. at least, quite safely! There are ever so many things I want. COLONEL. There you go! MRS. HOPE. As to Molly, I think it's high time her husband came home to look after her, instead of sticking out there in that hot place. In fact [Miss BEECH looks up at the tree and exhibits cerebral excitement] I don't know what Geoff's about; why doesn't he find something in England, where they could live together. COLONEL. Don't say anything against Molly, Nell! MRS. HOPE. Well, I don't believe in husband and wife being separated. That's not my idea of married life. [The COLONEL whistles quizzically.] Ah, yes, she's your niece, not mime! Molly's very---- MISS BEECH. Ouch! [She sucks her finger.] MRS. HOPE. Well, if I couldn't sew at your age, Peachey, without pricking my fingers! Tom, if I have Mr. Lever here, you'll just attend to what I say and look into that mine! COLONEL. Look into your grandmother! I have n't made a study of geology for nothing. For every ounce you take out of a gold mine, you put an ounce and a half in. Any fool knows that, eh, Peachey? MISS BEECH. I hate your horrid mines, with all the poor creatures underground. MRS. HOPE. Nonsense, Peachey! As if they'd go there if they did n't want to! COLONEL. Why don't you read your paper, then you'd see what a lot of wild-cat things there are about. MRS. HOPE. [Abstractedly.] I can't put Ernest and Letty in the blue room, there's only the single bed. Suppose I put Mr. Lever there, and say nothing about the earwigs. I daresay he'll never notice. COLONEL. Treat a guest like that! MRS. HOPE. Then where am I to put him for goodness sake?