JUDITH: Anyone would think I was eighty, the way you go on. It was a great mistake not sending you to boarding schools, and you coming back and me being your elder sister. SIMON: It wouldn’t have been any use. Everyone knows we’re your son and daughter. JUDITH: Only because I was stupid enough to dandle you about in front of cameras when you were little. I knew I should regret it. SIMON: I don’t see any point in trying to be younger than you are. JUDITH: At your age, dear, it would be indecent if you did. SOREL: But, Mother darling, don’t you see, it’s awfully undignified for you to go flaunting about with young men? JUDITH: I don’t flaunt about—I never have. I’ve been morally an extremely nice woman all my life—more or less—and if dabbling gives me pleasure, I don’t see why I shouldn’t dabble. SOREL: But it oughtn’t to give you pleasure any more. JUDITH: You know, Sorel, you grow more damnably feminine every day. I wish I’d brought you up differently. SOREL: I’m proud of being feminine. JUDITH (_kissing her_): You’re a darling, and I adore you; and you’re very pretty, and I’m madly jealous of you. SOREL (_with her arms round her_): Are you really? How lovely. JUDITH: You will be nice to Sandy, won’t you? SOREL (_breaking away_): Can’t he sleep in “Little Hell”? JUDITH: My dear, he’s frightfully athletic, and all those hot-water pipes will sap his vitality. SOREL: They’ll sap Richard’s vitality too. JUDITH: He won’t notice them; he’s probably used to scorching tropical Embassies with punkahs waving and everything. SIMON: He’s sure to be deadly, anyhow. SOREL: You’re getting far too blasé and exclusive, Simon. SIMON: Nothing of the sort. Only I loathe being hearty with your men friends. SOREL: You’ve never been even civil to any of my friends, men or women. JUDITH: Don’t bicker. SIMON: Anyhow, the Japanese room’s a woman’s room, and a woman ought to have it. JUDITH: I promised it to Sandy—he loves anything Japanese. SIMON: So does Myra. JUDITH: Myra! SIMON: Myra Arundel. I’ve asked her down. JUDITH: You’ve—what? SIMON: I’ve asked Myra down for the week-end—she’s awfully amusing. SOREL: Well, all I can say is, it’s beastly of you. You might have warned me. What on earth will Richard say? SIMON: Something exquisitely non-committal, I expect. JUDITH: This is too much! Do you mean to tell me, Simon—— SIMON (_firmly_): Yes, Mother, I do. I’ve asked Myra down, and I have a perfect right to. You’ve always brought us up to be free about things. JUDITH: Myra Arundel is straining freedom to its utmost limits. SIMON: Don’t you like her? JUDITH: No, dear, I detest her. She’s far too old for you, and she goes about using Sex as a sort of shrimping net. SIMON: Really, Mother——! JUDITH: It’s no use being cross. You know perfectly well I dislike her, and that’s why you never told me she was coming until too late to stop her. It’s intolerable of you.