------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY MRS. EMPTAGE (_a widow_) CLAUDE EMPTAGE (_her son_) JUSTINA EMPTAGE } (_her daughters_) THEOPHILA FRASER } SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD, M.P. (_her brother_) MRS. CLOYS (_her sister_) RT. REV. ANTHONY CLOYS, D.D., Bishop of St. Olpherts ALEXANDER FRASER—“Fraser of Locheen” JOHN ALLINGHAM OLIVE ALLINGHAM DENZIL SHAFTO } (_Allingham’s Friends_) PETER ELPHICK } MRS. QUINTON TWELVES HORTON (_a servant at Mrs. Emptage’s_) QUAIFE (_a servant at Mr. Allingham’s_) _The scenes are placed at Mrs. Emptage’s house, in the neighbourhood of Regent’s Park, and at “The Lichens,” Mr. Allingham’s cottage at Epsom._ _The events of the First and Second Acts occur on the same day, those of the Third Act about fifteen hours afterwards._ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT THE FIRST ACT _The Scene represents a drawing-room in_ MRS. EMPTAGE’S _house near Regent’s Park. At the back are double doors, opening on to a further drawing-room, and these face a window, over which the blinds are drawn, to moderate the glare of the sun, which nevertheless streams through them, for it is a fine afternoon in early summer. The rooms are furnished and decorated in a costly and tasteful fashion._ MRS. EMPTAGE _is reclining upon the settee, her eyes closed, a bottle of smelling-salts in her hand_. JUSTINA _is pacing the room between the door and the window_. MRS. EMPTAGE _is a pretty, carefully-preserved woman with dyed hair and “touched-up” face: she is old enough to be the mother of a daughter of nine-and-twenty_. JUSTINA _is of that age, good-looking, “smart,” and already somewhat passé. Both are fashionably but sombrely dressed._ MRS. EMPTAGE. Tell me the time once more, ’Tina. JUSTINA. [_Referring to her watch._] A few minutes to four, mother. MRS. EMPTAGE. Does the judge of the Divorce Court invariably rise at four o’clock? JUSTINA. He may sit a little later under special circumstances. MRS. EMPTAGE. To have done with a case if it’s very near its end? JUSTINA. So I’m told. MRS. EMPTAGE. They must all be here soon, whether that happens or not. JUSTINA. Yes, yes. Oh, but if the confounded thing should last into another day! MRS. EMPTAGE. A third day’s suspense will kill me. JUSTINA. Ma, I suppose, really, we ought to be reading our Church Services or something. MRS. EMPTAGE.