SANDY (_gloomily_): Have they? JACKIE: Yes. An aunt of mine once had them for three days without stopping. SANDY: How beastly. JACKIE (_with relish_): She had to have the doctor, and everything. SANDY: I expect mine will stop soon. JACKIE: I hope they will. SANDY: Hic!—There! JACKIE: Drink some water the wrong way round. SANDY: How do you mean—the wrong way round? JACKIE (_rising_): The wrong side of the glass. I’ll show you. (_She goes to side table._) There isn’t any water. SANDY: Perhaps coffee would do as well. JACKIE: I’ve never tried coffee, but it might. (_She pours him out some._) There you are. SANDY (_anxiously_): What do I do? JACKIE: Tip it up and drink from the opposite side, sort of upside down. SANDY (_trying_): I can’t reach any—— JACKIE (_suddenly_): Look out—somebody’s coming. Bring it into the library—quick.... SANDY: Bring the sugar—I might need it again—hic! Oh God! JACKIE: All right. [_They go off into the library hurriedly._ [_RICHARD comes downstairs. He glances round a trifle anxiously; then, pulling himself together, he goes boldly to the barometer and taps it. It falls off the wall and breaks; he picks it up quickly and places it on the piano. Then he helps himself to some breakfast, and sits down._ [_MYRA appears on the stairs, very smart and bright._ MYRA (_vivaciously_): Good morning. RICHARD: Good morning. MYRA: Are we the first down? RICHARD: No, I don’t think so. MYRA (_looking out of the window_): Isn’t this rain miserable? RICHARD: Appalling! MYRA: Where’s the barometer? RICHARD: On the piano. MYRA: What a queer place for it to be. RICHARD: I tapped it, and it fell down. MYRA: Typical of this house. (_At side table_) Are you having eggs and bacon, or haddock? RICHARD: Haddock. MYRA: I’ll have haddock too. I simply couldn’t strike out a line for myself this morning. (_She helps herself to haddock and coffee, and sits down opposite RICHARD._) Have you seen anybody? RICHARD: No. MYRA: Good. We might have a little peace. RICHARD: Have you ever stayed here before? MYRA: No, and I never will again. RICHARD: I feel far from well this morning. MYRA: I’m so sorry, but not entirely surprised. RICHARD: You see, I had the boiler room. MYRA: How terrible! RICHARD: The window stuck, and I couldn’t open it—I was nearly suffocated. The pipes made peculiar noises all night, as well. MYRA: There isn’t any sugar. RICHARD: Oh—we’d better ring. MYRA: I doubt if it will be the slightest use, but we’ll try. RICHARD (_ringing and ringing bell_): Do the whole family have breakfast in bed? MYRA: I neither know—nor care. RICHARD: They’re strange people, aren’t they? MYRA: I think “strange” is putting it mildly. [_Enter CLARA._ CLARA: What’s the matter? MYRA: There isn’t any sugar. CLARA: There is—I put it ’ere myself. MYRA: Perhaps you’d find it for us, then? CLARA (_searching_): That’s very funny. I could ’ave sworn on me Bible oath I brought it in.