PERCY. (_Hat in hand, as he reads the inscription_) In-ter-preet. (_Puts on the cap_) Good! Hope them blarsted frog-eaters keep away. Don’t know a single word of French, er German, er I-talian, er Spanish, er any of them dialects. Good thing for an interpreter! But I’m no millionaire, and them six shillin’s! Hm! But I mightily fear conversation may languish if I meet any o’ them foreigners. (_Re-enter the_ CASHIER.) CASHIER. I forgot to ask you something a moment ago: you know there are a great many interpreters who know all the languages of Europe and don’t know their mother tongue. You speak English well, don’t you? PERCY. Perfectly, Madam. CASHIER. Good. I wanted to be quite sure, you know. You didn’t speak when I was talking to you. PERCY. Ye can rest quiet on that point, Ma’am. I speaks English admi-rably. CASHIER. We haven’t many French people at this season. (_The telephone bell rings. The_ CASHIER _runs to the table, center, and takes off the receiver. A moment later she lays it on the table_) It’s from Paris. (PERCY, _who is comfortably leaning against the_ CASHIER’S _desk, does not move a hair. The_ CASHIER _goes to him_) Someone’s telephoning from Paris. It’s in French! Are you deaf? Go to the telephone! PERCY. (_Advancing slowly to the table, and picking up the receiver_) Hello? (_Lays the receiver down, and faces the audience in despair_) That’s it; they’re French. (_Again listening, and again laying down the receiver_) Don’t understand a word! (_Speaking into the transmitter_) Oui, oui, oui. (_He is at his wits’ end_) CASHIER. What do they say? PERCY. What do they say? Oh, nothing very important. CASHIER. People don’t telephone from Paris to say nothing very important! PERCY. (_Again speaking into the telephone_) Oui, oui.--Yes, they’re French, no doubt about it. They--they want some rooms, and so I said “Oui, oui.” CASHIER. Well, is that all they say? When? How much do they want to pay? Ask them, ask them! PERCY. (_Hesitating_) They want--four rooms. CASHIER. When? PERCY. For--er--next Thursday. CASHIER. What kind of rooms? PERCY. On the second floor. CASHIER. Tell them we have only two on that floor at present, but another will be vacant the day they arrive--on the fifteenth. Or else we could let them have two first-rate rooms on the third floor, if they like. PERCY. Do you want me to tell them that? CASHIER. Yes, and hurry. (PERCY _hesitates_) What are you waiting for? PERCY. (_Dumbfounded_) Eh?--er--(_Listening at the telephone_) Sonfrancaispollyvoogrllgon--Oh! (_He hangs up the receiver_) Whew, that’s over with, thank Heaven! CASHIER. They must be rich--You know it costs ten shillings every three minutes to telephone from Paris. PERCY. Ten bob for three minutes? What’s that come to by the hour? CASHIER. Ten pounds. PERCY. Ten--?! (_Enter_ CHANOINE-MALHERBE, _center_.) CHANOINE-MALHERBE. C’est ici l’Hôtel Gainsborough?