_Enter_ Lord Arthur. Lady Larkspur _starts suddenly and turns towards him._ _Lady Larkspur._ Arthur! _You_ here? (_He gives a nod of confirmation. She pauses a moment, and then with a sudden passionate movement flings herself into his arms._) Take me away, Arthur. I can't bear this life any longer. Larkspur bit me again this morning for the _third_ time. I want to get away from it all. [_Swoons._ The subsequent scene may be so pathetic that on the hundredth night it is still bringing tears to the eyes of the fireman, but you must not expect to be treated as a serious dramatist. You will see this for yourself if you consider the passage as it should properly have been written:-- _Enter_ Lord Arthur Fluffinose. Lady Larkspur _looks at him with amazement._ _Lady Larkspur._ Arthur, what are _you_ doing here? _Lord Arthur._ I caught the 2.3 from town. It gets in at 3.37, and I walked over from the station. It's only a mile. (_At this-point he looks at the grandfather clock in the corner, and the audience, following his eyes, sees that it is seven minutes to four, which appears delightfully natural._) I came to tell Larkspur to sell Bungoes. They are going down. _Lady Larkspur (folding her hands over her chest and gazing broodingly at the footlights)._ Larkspur! _Lord Arthur (anxiously)._ What is it? (_Suddenly_) Has he been ill-treating you again? _Lady Larkspur (flinging herself into his arms)._ Oh, Arthur, Arthur, he bit me this morning---- And so on. But it may well be that _Lord Larkspur_ has an intrigue of his own with his secretary, _Miss Devereux_, and, if their big scene is to take place on the stage too, the hall has got to be cleared for them in some way. Your natural instinct will be to say, "_Exeunt_ Fluffinose _and_ Lady Larkspur, _R. Enter_ Lord Larkspur _and_ Miss Devereux, _L._" This is very immature, even if you are quite clear as to which side of the stage is L. and which is R. You _must_ make the evolutions seem natural. Thus:--_Enter from the left_ Miss Devereux. _She stops in surprise at seeing_ Lord Arthur _and holds out her hand._ _Miss D._ Why, Lord Arthur! Whatever---- _Lord A._ How d'you do? I've just run down to tell Lord Larkspur to---- _Miss D._ He's in the library. At least he---- _Lord A. (taking out his watch)._ Ah, then perhaps I'd better---- [_Exit by door on left._ _Miss D. (to Lady L.)._ Have you seen _The Times_ about here? There is a set of verses in the Financial Supplement which Lord Larkspur wanted to----(_She wanders vaguely round the room. Enter _Lord Larkspur_ by door at back_). Why, here you are! I've just sent Lord Arthur into the library to---- _Lord L._ I went out to speak to the gardener about---- _Lady L._ Ah, then I'll go and tell Lord---- [_Exit to library, leaving_ Miss Devereux _and_ Lord Larkspur _alone._ And there you are. You will, of course, appreciate that the unfinished sentences not only save time, but also make the manoeuvring very much more natural.