SCENE:--_A small office in a hotel. There is a large door center, giving upon the hallway. Down-stage and up-stage to the right are doors; similar doors on the left. Half-way down-stage on the left is the_ CASHIER’S _desk, with inkstands and register. On the walls are posters and train schedules. Half-way down-stage and a little to left of center is a table covered with magazines, etc., and a telephone. As the curtain rises, the_ PORTER _is seen seated on a small stool just below the_ CASHIER’S _desk. A moment later, enter_ GERALD _and_ SÉRAPHINE, _each with a valise._ SÉRAPHINE _is typically French and wears stylish clothes of the latest cut_; GERALD _is equally well dressed. He goes to the_ PORTER, _lays down his valise, takes that of_ SÉRAPHINE _and places it beside his own_. GERALD. We’d like two rooms, please. PORTER. One moment, sir; I’ll call the cashier. GERALD. Is there a telegraph office around here? PORTER. Yes, sir, it’s just around the corner. Shall I take your message, sir? GERALD. No, I’ll take it myself. (_The_ PORTER _goes out_.) SÉRAPHINE. Mon chéri, je voudrais une chambre exposée au soleil. GERALD. Oui, oui, ma chère. SÉRAPHINE. Je suis très lasse. Comment dit-on? Tired? GERALD. Oui--yes. Dearest, you must learn to speak English all the time; we don’t want people to stare at us. SÉRAPHINE. Oh, but I do not know well how the English speaks itself. GERALD. Nonsense, you’re getting along splendidly. (_Enter_ CASHIER, _up-stage right_.) CASHIER. How do you do? You’d like a room? GERALD. Two, if you please. CASHIER. We have two nice rooms on the second floor. GERALD. That’s capital! CASHIER. (_Turning the register toward_ GERALD _and handing him a pen_) Just sign here, please. That’s right. SÉRAPHINE. (_Looking over_ GERALD’S _shoulder_) Ah, tu es--! CASHIER. Would you mind waiting a moment? I’ll have the rooms ready presently. (_She goes out, up-stage, right._) SÉRAPHINE. Ah, Mister Parkinson! Mrs. Parkinson! Que c’est drôle! GERALD. Certainly; I couldn’t give our real names. It would be nice to put down “Mr. Gerald Forsyth and Mlle. Séraphine Chanoine-Malherbe”--especially as you told me yourself that your father knew of this hotel, and might come here and find us--nous surprendre ici. SÉRAPHINE. It is a wicked thing, this that we have done. I know too, my father, he remember this hotel, well. He know the name: Hotel Gainsborough: he has been here before. Ecoute-moi bien--listen me--_to_ me, dear. I think I have seen his gray hat. GERALD. But there are hundreds of gray hats in London. SÉRAPHINE. But I am sure I have seen the--the--paternal hat. GERALD. Nonsense, my dear! SÉRAPHINE. Ah, mon chéri! GERALD. Don’t say “Mon chéri!”--say “My dear.” SÉRAPHINE. My dear! Oh, I wish I were safely married to you. Oh, how wicked to run away like this!