CLARA: He’s playing cricket. [_RICHARD opens the front door and proceeds to bring the luggage in. SOREL rushes to help him._ SOREL: Do sit down and smoke. I can easily manage it. RICHARD: Certainly not. SOREL: How typical of Myra to have so many bags.... Ooh! [_She staggers with a suit-case. RICHARD goes to her assistance, and they both drop it._ There now!—we’ve probably broken something. RICHARD: This is the last one.... (_He brings in a dressing-case, and wipes his hand on his handkerchief._) SOREL: Do you know where to wash if you want to? RICHARD: No—but I’m all right. [_Re-enter CLARA, with tea and hot-water jug._ [_SIMON and MYRA come in from the garden._ MYRA: Hullo, Sorel, how are you? SOREL: I’m splendid. Do you know Mr. Greatham? MYRA: Oh, yes; we’ve met several times. SIMON: Come and sit down, Myra. [_DAVID and JACKIE come downstairs._ DAVID: Is tea ready? SOREL: Yes; just. DAVID: Simon, come and be nice to Miss Coryton. SIMON: We’ve met already. DAVID: That’s no reason for you not to be nice to her. MYRA (_firmly_): How-do-you-do. DAVID: How-do-you-do. Are you staying here? MYRA: I hope so. DAVID: You must forgive me for being rather frowsy, but I’ve been working hard. SOREL: Father, this is Mr. Greatham. DAVID: How are you? When did you arrive? RICHARD: This afternoon. DAVID: Good. Have some tea. (_He begins to pour it out._) Everyone had better put their own sugar and milk in, or we shall get muddled. Where’s your mother, Simon? SIMON: She was last seen in the punt. DAVID: How extraordinary! She can’t punt. SOREL: Sandy Tyrell’s with her. DAVID: Oh, well, she’ll be all right then. Who is he? SOREL: I don’t know. DAVID: Do sit down, everybody. [_Enter JUDITH and SANDY from the garden._ JUDITH: There’s going to be a thunderstorm. I felt sick this morning. This is Sandy Tyrell—Everybody—— RICHARD (_shaking hands_): How-do-you-do. SOREL: Mother, I want you to meet Mr. Greatham. JUDITH: Oh, yes. You were here before, weren’t you? SIMON: Before _what_, darling? JUDITH: Before I went out in the punt. There was somebody else here too—a fair girl——(_She sees JACKIE._) Oh, there you are. How-do-you-do. Sit down, Sandy, and eat anything you want. Give Sandy some bread-and-butter, Simon. [_Everybody sits down._ SIMON (_ungraciously_): Here you are. SANDY: Thanks. [_There is a long pause; then MYRA and RICHARD speak together._ RICHARD: } How far are you from Maidenhead exactly? MYRA: } What a pity it’s raining—we might have had some tennis—— [_They both stop, to let the other go on. There is another terrible silence._ MYRA: } I adore the shape of this hall—it’s so—— RICHARD: } The train was awfully crowded coming down—— [_They both stop again, and there is another dead silence, during which_ THE CURTAIN SLOWLY FALLS. ACT II ACT II _It is after dinner on the Saturday evening._