SIR JAMES. He must see your new mare. I should like to have his opinion
of her.
WENTWORTH (getting up). I never know what to say to a mare, but I should
like to come.
LETTY. She answers to "Hi!" or to any loud cry.
PAMELA. I'm sure you'll be all right, Mr. Wentworth.
GERALD. There's a way of putting one's head on one side and saying,
"Ah!" Anybody who's seen Tommy at the Royal Academy will know exactly
what I mean.
(GERALD, PAMELA and WENTWORTH move towards the door.)
WENTWORTH (to PAMELA). Ought I to have a straw in my mouth?
GERALD. It's all right, we'll go and see the spaniels first.
WENTWORTH (cheerfully). Oh, I'm all right with dogs.
LETTY (to TOMMY). Come on, Tommy. [They go out behind the others.]
LADY FARRINGDON. Would you like to have tea outside, Aunt Harriet?
MISS FARRINGDON. I'm not too old for that, Mary. Bob will bring me out.
I want to have a word with him while I can. Everybody talks at once in
this house.
SIR JAMES (picking up his hat). How's the City--hey?
BOB. Just as usual.
SIR JAMES. Coming round to the stables?
ROB. Later on, perhaps.
LADY FARRINGDON. Bob is bringing Aunt Harriet along, dear.
SIR JAMES. Ah, yes. [They go out together.]
MISS FARRINGDON. Smoke, Bob, and tell me how horrible the City is.
BOB (lighting a pipe and sitting down). It's damnable, Aunt Harriet.
MISS FARRINGDON. More damnable than usual?
BOB. Yes.
MISS FARRINGDON. Any particular reason why?
BOB (after a long pause). No.
(MISS FARRINGDON nods to herself and then speaks very casually.)
MISS FARRINGDON. My bankers sent in my pass-book the other day. I seem
to have a deal of money lying idle, as they call it. If anybody wanted
it, I should really be in no hurry to get it back again.
BOB (awkwardly). Thanks very much. It isn't that. (After a pause) Not
altogether.
MISS FARRINGDON. It was a great pity you ever went into the City, Bob.
BOB (fiercely). I could have told anybody that.
MISS FARRINGDON (after waiting for him to say something more). Well,
suppose we go into the garden with the others. (She begins to get up and
he goes to help her,) There's nothing you want to tell me, Bob?
BOB (looking away). What would there be?
MISS FARRINGDON. I'm a wise old woman, they say, and I don't talk.
BOB. I don't think you can help me. Er--thanks very much.
MISS FARRINGDON (quite naturally, as she turns towards the door). If you
don't mind giving me your arm.
(As they get to the door they are met by GERALD and PAMELA coming in.)
GERALD. Hullo, Bob, we were just coming back for you.
MISS FARRINGDON. Thoughtful Gerald.
GERALD. Pamela's idea. She thought that the elder members of the family
could discuss life more freely unhampered by the younger generation.
PAMELA. What I really said was, "Where's Bob?"
GERALD. Well, it's the same thing.
MISS FARRINGDON. Bob is looking after me, thank you very much. [They go
out together.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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