Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, Melissa Er-Raqabi and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net MAGIC A FANTASTIC COMEDY [Illustration: G.K. Chesterton From a photograph] MAGIC A FANTASTIC COMEDY BY G.K. CHESTERTON G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON The Knickerbocker Press 1913 COPYRIGHT, 1913 BY G.K. CHESTERTON The Knickerbocker Press, New York THE CHARACTERS THE DUKE DOCTOR GRIMTHORPE THE REV. CYRIL SMITH MORRIS CARLEON HASTINGS, _the Duke's Secretary_ THE STRANGER PATRICIA CARLEON _The action takes place in the Duke's Drawing-room._ NOTE THIS play was presented under the management of Kenelm Foss at The Little Theatre, London, on November 7, 1913, with the following cast: THE STRANGER FRANKLIN DYALL PATRICIA CARLEON MISS GRACE CROFT THE REV. CYRIL SMITH O.P. HEGGIE DR. GRIMTHORPE WILLIAM FARREN THE DUKE FRED LEWIS HASTINGS FRANK RANDELL MORRIS CARLEON LYONEL WATTS THE PRELUDE SCENE: _A plantation of thin young trees, in a misty and rainy twilight; some woodland blossom showing the patches on the earth between the stems._ THE STRANGER _is discovered, a cloaked figure with a pointed hood. His costume might belong to modern or any other time, and the conical hood is so drawn over the head that little can be seen of the face._ _A distant voice, a woman's, is heard, half-singing, half-chanting, unintelligible words. The cloaked figure raises its head and listens with interest. The song draws nearer and_ PATRICIA CARLEON _enters. She is dark and slight, and has a dreamy expression. Though she is artistically dressed, her hair is a little wild. She has a broken branch of some flowering tree in her hand. She does not notice the stranger, and though he has watched her with interest, makes no sign. Suddenly she perceives him and starts back._ PATRICIA. Oh! Who are you? STRANGER. Ah! Who am I? [_Commences to mutter to himself, and maps out the ground with his staff._] I have a hat, but not to wear; I wear a sword, but not to slay, And ever in my bag I bear A pack of cards, but not to play. PATRICIA. What are you? What are you saying? STRANGER. It is the language of the fairies, O daughter of Eve. PATRICIA. But I never thought fairies were like you. Why, you are taller than I am. STRANGER. We are of such stature as we will. But the elves grow small, not large, when they would mix with mortals. PATRICIA. You mean they are beings greater than we are.