JANE. It may be very unromantic of me, but I like men to be keen on
games, and to wear the clothes that everybody else wears--as long as
they fit well, of course--and to talk about the ordinary things that
everybody talks about. Of course, Melisande would say that that was
very stupid and unromantic of me----
BOBBY. I don't think it is at all.
JANE. How awfully nice of you to say that, Bobby. You do understand so
wonderfully.
BOBBY (with a laugh). I say, that's rather funny. I was just thinking
the same about you.
JANE. I say, were you really? I'm so glad. I like to feel that we are
really friends, and that we understand each other. I don't know
whether I'm different from other girls, but I don't make friends very
easily.
BOBBY. Do you mean men or women friends?
JANE. Both. In fact, but for Melisande and you, I can hardly think of
any--not what you call real friends.
BOBBY. Melisande is a great friend, isn't she? You tell each other all
your secrets, and that sort of thing, don't you?
JANE. Yes, we're great friends, but there are some things that I could
never tell even her. (Impressively) I could never show her my inmost
heart.
BOBBY. I don't believe about your not having any men friends. I bet
there are hundreds of them, as keen on you as anything.
JANE. I wonder. It would be rather nice to think there were. That
sounds horrid, doesn't it, but a girl can't help wanting to be liked.
BOBBY. Of course she can't; nobody can. I don't think it's a bit
horrid.
JANE. How nice of you. (She gets up) Well, I must be going, I suppose.
BOBBY. What's the hurry?
JANE. Aunt Mary. She said five minutes.
BOBBY. And how long will you be with her? You'll come down again,
won't you?
JANE. No, I don't think so. I'm rather tired this evening. (Holding
out her hand) Good-night, Bobby.
BOBBY (taking it). Oh, but look here, I'll come and light your candle
for you.
JANE. How nice of you!
(She manages to get her hand back, and they walk to the door
together.)
BOBBY. I suppose I may as well go to bed myself.
JANE (at the door). Well, if you are, we'd better put the lights out.
BOBBY. Righto. (He puts them out.) I say, what a night! (The moonlight
streams through the windows on them.) You'll hardly want a candle.
[They go out together.
(The hall is empty. Suddenly the front door bell is heard to ring.
After a little interval, ALICE comes in, turns on the light, and looks
round the hall. She is walking across the hall to the drawing-room
when MR. KNOWLE comes in from behind her, and she turns round.)
MR. KNOWLE. Were you looking for me, Alice?
ALICE. Yes, sir. There's a gentleman at the front door, sir.
MR. KNOWLE. Rather late for a call, isn't it?
ALICE. He's in a motor car, sir, and it's broken down, and he wondered
if you'd lend him a little petrol. He told me to say how very sorry he
was to trouble you----
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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