The action of the play takes place in MULBERRY MANOR, MRS. DERMOTT'S house, a few miles out of London. Eighteen months elapse between acts one and two, and one night between acts two and three. "I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU" _A plan of the stage of the New Theatre, London, set for the play is given at the end of the book._ SCENE.--_The Hall of Mulberry Manor. All the furniture looks very comfortable. Through the window can be seen a glimpse of a snowy garden; there is a log fire. The light is a little dim, being late afternoon. Seated on the table swinging her legs is_ JOYCE, _she is attired in a fur coat and goloshes, very little else can be seen, except a pink healthy looking young face._ SYLVIA _is seated on the Chesterfield_ R. _She is twenty-one and exceedingly pretty. It is about five days before Christmas._ JOYCE (_brightly_). My feet are simply soaking. SYLVIA (_sewing_). Why on earth don't you go and change them? You'll catch cold. (BOBBIE _enters_ R. _He is a slim, bright-looking youth of twenty._) JOYCE. I don't mind if I do. (_Laughs._) Colds are fun. BOBBIE. She loves having a fuss made of her, beef tea--chicken--jelly with whipped cream--and fires in her bedroom, little Sybarite. JOYCE. So do you. BOBBIE (_comes_ C.). No, I don't; whenever my various ailments confine me to my bed, I chafe--positively chafe at the terrible inactivity. I want to be up and about, shooting, riding, cricket, football, judo, the usual run of manly sports. SYLVIA. Knowing you for what you are--lazy, luxurious---- BOBBIE (_pained_). Please, please, please, not in front of the child. (JOYCE _kicks_). It's demoralizing for her to hear her idolized brother held up to ridicule. JOYCE. You're not my idolized brother at all--Oliver is. (_Turning away, pouting._) BOBBIE (_seated_ R. _on Chesterfield, sweetly_). If that were really so, dear, I know you have much too kind a heart to let me know it. SYLVIA. What is the matter with you this afternoon, Bobbie--you are very up in the air about something. (JOYCE _takes her coat off, puts on back of chair_ R. _of table_). BOBBIE (_rising and sitting on club fender_). Merely another instance of the triumph of mind over matter; in this case a long and healthy walk was the matter. I went into the lobby to put on my snow boots and then--as is usually the case with me--my mind won. I thought of tea, crumpets and comfort. Oliver has gone without me, he simply bursts with health and extraordinary dullness. Personally I shall continue to be delicate and interesting. SYLVIA (_seriously_). You may _have_ to work, Bobbie. BOBBIE. Really, Sylvia, you do say the most awful things, remember Joyce is only a school-girl, she'll be quite shocked. JOYCE. We work jolly hard at school, anyhow. BOBBIE. Oh, no, you don't. I've read the modern novelists, and I _know_; all you do is walk about with arms entwined, and write poems of tigerish adoration to your mistresses. It's a beautiful existence.