Marriage -- Drama; Married people -- Drama; Weddings -- Drama
SYKES. Weve done it. Thats all.
HOTCHKISS. Done what, Cecil?
SYKES. Well, what do you suppose?
EDITH. Got married, of course.
THE GENERAL. Married! Who gave you away?
SYKES [jerking his head towards the tower] This gentleman
did.[Seeing that they do not understand, he looks round and sees
that there is no one there]. Oh! I thought he came in with us.
Hes gone downstairs, I suppose. The Beadle.
THE GENERAL. The Beadle! What the devil did he do that for?
SYKES. Oh, I dont know: I didnt make any bargain with him. [To
Mrs George] How much ought I to give him, Mrs Collins?
MRS GEORGE. Five shillings. [To the Bishop] I want to rest for a
moment: there! in your study. I saw it here [she touches her
forehead].
THE BISHOP [opening the study door for her] By all means. Turn my
brother out if he disturbs you. Soames: bring the letters out
here.
SYKES. He wont be offended at my offering it, will he?
MRS GEORGE. Not he! He touches children with the mace to cure
them of ringworm for fourpence apiece. [She goes into the study.
Soames follows her].
THE GENERAL. Well, Edith, I'm a little disappointed, I must
say. However, I'm glad it was done by somebody in a public
uniform.
Mrs Bridgenorth and Lesbia come in through the tower. Mrs
Bridgenorth makes for the Bishop. He goes to her, and they meet
near the oak chest. Lesbia comes between Sykes and Edith.
THE BISHOP. Alice, my love, theyre married.
MRS BRIDGENORTH [placidly] Oh, well, thats all right. Better tell
Collins.
Soames comes back from the study with his writing materials. He
seats himself at the nearest end of the table and goes on with
his work. Hotchkiss sits down in the next chair round the table
corner, with his back to him.
LESBIA. You have both given in, have you?
EDITH. Not at all. We have provided for everything.
SOAMES. How?
EDITH. Before going to the church, we went to the office of that
insurance company--whats its name, Cecil?
SYKES. The British Family Insurance Corporation. It insures you
against poor relations and all sorts of family contingencies.
EDITH. It has consented to insure Cecil against libel actions
brought against him on my account. It will give us specially low
terms because I am a Bishop's daughter.
SYKES. And I have given Edie my solemn word that if I ever commit
a crime I'll knock her down before a witness and go off to
Brighton with another lady.
LESBIA. Thats what you call providing for everything! [She goes
to the middle of the table on the garden side and sits down].
LEO. Do make him see there are no worms before he knocks you
down, Edith. Wheres Rejjy?
REGINALD [coming in from the study] Here. Whats the matter?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account