A Two-Act version of this play was produced by Mr. Dion Boucicault at
the New Theatre on April 7, 1917, with the following cast:
Robert Crawshaw--NIGEL PLAYFAIR.
Margaret Crawshaw--HELEN HAYE.
Viola Crawshaw--PEGGY KURTON.
Richard Meriton--MARTIN LEWIS.
Denis Clifton--DION BOUCICAULT.
Lancelot Dodd--BERTRAM SIEMS.
[SCENE.--ROBERT CRAWSHAW'S town house. Morning.]
[It is a June day before the war in the morning-room of ROBERT
CRAWSHAW'S town house. Entering it with our friend the house-agent, our
attention would first be called to the delightful club fender round the
fireplace. On one side of this a Chesterfield sofa comes out at right
angles. In a corner of the sofa MISS VIOLA CRAWSHAW is sitting, deep
in "The Times." The house-agent would hesitate to catalogue her, but
we notice for ourselves, before he points out the comfortable armchair
opposite, that she is young and pretty. In the middle of the room and
facing the fireplace is (observe) a solid knee-hole writing-table,
covered with papers and books of reference, and supported by a chair at
the middle and another at the side. The rest of the furniture, and the
books and pictures round the walls, we must leave until another time,
for at this moment the door behind the sofa opens and RICHARD MERITON
comes in. He looks about thirty-five, has a clean-shaven intelligent
face, and is dressed in a dark tweed suit. We withdraw hastily, as he
comes behind VIOLA and puts his hands over her eyes.]
RICHARD. Three guesses who it is.
VIOLA (putting her hands over his). The Archbishop of Canterbury.
RICHARD. No.
VIOLA. The Archbishop of York.
RICHARD. Fortunately that exhausts the archbishops. Now, then, your last
guess.
VIOLA. Richard Meriton, M.P.
RICHARD. Wonderful! (He kisses the top of her head lightly and goes
round to the club fender, where he sits with his back to the fireplace.)
How did you know? (He begins to fill a pipe.)
VIOLA (smiling). Well, it couldn't have been father.
RICHARD. N-no, I suppose not. Not just after breakfast anyway. Anything
in the paper?
VIOLA. There's a letter from father pointing out that--
RICHARD. I never knew such a man as Robert for pointing out.
VIOLA. Anyhow, it's in big print.
RICHARD. It would be.
VIOLA. You are very cynical this morning, Dick.
RICHARD. The sausages were cold, dear.
VIOLA. Poor Dick! Oh, Dick, I wish you were on the same side as father.
RICHARD. But he's on the wrong side. Surely I've told you that
before.... Viola, do you really think it would make a difference?
VIOLA. Well, you know what he said about you at Basingstoke the other
day.
RICHARD. No, I don't, really.
VIOLA. He said that your intellectual arrogance was only equalled by
your spiritual instability. I don't quite know what it means, but it
doesn't sound the sort of thing you want in a son-in-law.
RICHARD. Still, it was friendly of him to go right away to Basingstoke
to say it. Anyhow, you don't believe it.
VIOLA. Of course not.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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