Mr. Pim Passes By: A Comedy in Three ActsMilne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)
General
Mr. Pim Passes By: A Comedy in Three Acts
Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)
English drama -- 20th century
DINAH (_admiringly_). I say, you _are_ quick, Mr. Pim. Well, if you take
my advice, when you've finished your business with George, you will hang
about a bit and see if you can't see Olivia. (_Rising and moving_ C.)
She's simply--(_feeling for the word_)--devastating. I don't wonder
George fell in love with her.
(_Moving to above piano_ R., _looking at photos, etc._)
PIM (_rising and looking at his watch and coming_ C.). It's only the
merest matter of business--just a few words with your uncle--Perhaps I'd
better...
DINAH (_looking at photo on top end of piano_). Well, you must please
yourself, Mr. Pim. I'm just giving you a friendly word of advice.
Naturally, I was awfully glad to get such a magnificent aunt. (_Moving
down to_ L. _of piano and taking up and looking at photo of_ OLIVIA.)
Because, after all, marriage _is_ rather a toss up, isn't it?--
PIM (_taken aback_). Well, I don't, know, I haven't had any experience...
DINAH (_continuing_). And George might have gone off with anybody.
(_Moving to_ PIM.) It's different on the stage, where guardians always
marry their wards, but George couldn't marry _me_ because I'm his niece.
Mind you, I don't say that I should have had him, because, between
ourselves, he's a little bit old-fashioned.
PIM. So he married--er--Mrs. Marden instead.
DINAH. Mrs. Telworthy--don't say you've forgotten already, just when you
were getting so good at names. Mrs. Telworthy. (_Moves to and sits on
settee_ R.) You see, Olivia married the Telworthy man and went to
Australia with him, and he drank himself to death in the bush, or
wherever you drink yourself to death out there, and Olivia came home to
England, and met my uncle, and he fell in love with her and proposed to
her--(_rises and kneels on settee_)--and he came into my room that night--
I was about fourteen--and turned on the light and said, "Dinah, how
would you like to have a beautiful aunt of your very own?" (PIM
_laughs_.) And I said: "Congratulations, George." (PIM _laughs again_.)
That was the first time I called him George. Of course, I'd seen it
coming for weeks. Telworthy, isn't it a funny name?
PIM. Oh, a most curious name--Telworthy. From Australia, you say?
DINAH. Yes, I always say that he's probably still alive, and will turn up
here one morning and annoy George.
PIM (_shocked_). Oh!
DINAH. But I'm afraid there's not much chance.
PIM (_shocked_). Miss Marden! Really!
DINAH, Well, of course, I don't really _want_ it to happen, but it
_would_ be rather exciting. (_Crossing to_ PIM.) Wouldn't it, Mr Pim?
PIM. Exciting!
(PIM _crosses to below settee_ L.)
DINAH. However, things like that never seem to occur down here, somehow,
(_Running up into window up_ R. PIM _watches her_.) There was a hayrick
burnt last year about a mile away, but that isn't the same, is it?
PIM. No, I should say that that was certainly different.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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