Mabel, do you mean to say you brought me here, an inoffensive, harmless creature, for your sister to propose to a pal of mine? It's an outrage. MABEL. She's doing nothing of the sort. JOHN. You needn't look indignant. You can't deny that you proposed to me. MABEL. I can, indeed. If I had I should never have taken such an unconscionably long time about it. JOHN. I wonder why Hilda wants to marry poor Basil! MABEL. Well, Captain Murray left her five thousand a year, and she thinks Basil Kent a genius. JOHN. There's not a drawing-room in Regent's Park or in Bayswater that hasn't got its tame genius. I don't know if Basil Kent is much more than very clever. MABEL. Anyhow, I'm sure it's a mistake to marry geniuses. They're horribly bad-tempered, and they invariably make love to other people's wives. JOHN. Hilda always has gone in for literary people. That's the worst of marrying a cavalryman, it leads you to attach so much importance to brains. MABEL. Yes, but she needn't marry them. If she wants to encourage Basil let her do it from a discreet distance. Genius always thrives best on bread and water and platonic attachments. If Hilda marries him he'll only become fat and ugly and bald-headed and stupid. JOHN. Why, then he'll make an ideal Member of Parliament. [BASIL _and_ HILDA _come into the room again_. MABEL. [_Maliciously._] Well, what have you been talking about? HILDA. [_Acidly._] The weather and the crops, Shakespeare and the Musical Glasses. MABEL. [_Raising her eyebrows._] Oh! HILDA. It's getting very late, Mabel. We really must be going. MABEL. [_Getting up._] And I've got to pay at least twelve calls. I hope every one will be out. HILDA. People are so stupid, they're always in when you call. MABEL. [_Holding out her hand to_ BASIL.] Good-bye. HILDA. [_Coldly._] Thanks so much, Mr. Kent. I'm afraid we disturbed you awfully. BASIL. [_Shaking hands with her._] I've been enchanted to see you. Good-bye. MABEL. [_Lightly._] We shall see you again before you go to Italy, shan't we? BASIL. Oh, I'm not going to Italy now, I've changed all my plans. MABEL. [_Giving_ JOHN _a look_.] Oh! Well, good-bye. Aren't you coming, John. JOHN. No: I think I'll stay and have a little chat with Basil, while you tread the path of duty. MABEL. Well, mind you're in early. We've got a lot of disgusting people coming to dinner. HILDA. [_With a smile._] Poor things! Who are they? MABEL. I forget who they are. But I know they're loathsome. That's why I asked them. [BASIL _opens the door, and the two women go out_. JOHN. [_Sitting down and stretching himself._] Now that we've got rid of our womankind let's make ourselves comfortable. [_Taking a pipe out of his pocket._] I think I'll sample your baccy if you'll pass it along. BASIL. [_Handing him the jar._] I'm rather glad you stayed, John. I wanted to talk to you. JOHN. Ha! ha!