The Gay Lord Quex: A Comedy in Four ActsPinero, Arthur Wing
General
The Gay Lord Quex: A Comedy in Four Acts
Pinero, Arthur Wing
Comedy plays; English drama -- 19th century
_The scene represents a manicure establishment in New Bond Street. It is
a front room upon the first floor, with three french-windows affording a
view of certain buildings on the east side of the street. On the left,
furthest from the spectator, is a wide, arched opening, apparently
leading to another apartment, in which is the door giving entrance to
the rooms from the staircase. Nearer, there is another french-window,
opening on to an expanse of "leads" and showing the exterior of the wall
of the further room above-mentioned. From the right, above the middle
window, runs an ornamental partition, about nine feet in height, with
panels of opaque glass. This partition extends more than half-way across
the room, then runs forward for some distance, turns off at a sharp
angle, and terminates between the arched opening and the window on the
left. That part of the partition running from right to left is closed on
its left side and forms, therefore, a separate room or compartment.
Facing the audience, on the right, is a door admitting to this
compartment; and, on the left, also in the, partition opposite the
windows on the right, is an opening with a looped-back portière. The
space between this opening and the further room forms a narrow anteroom,
containing articles of furniture visible through the opening. Mirrors
are affixed to the right wall, between the lower and the middle window
and between the middle window and the partition, while on the left,
between the window and the partition, is another mirror. A number of
business cards are stuck in the frames of the mirrors. On the right,
before each of the two lower windows, turned from the spectator, is a
capacious arm-chair, made in cane open-work. Attached to the arms of
these chairs are little screens--also made of cane--shielding in a
measure the occupants of the chairs from observation. Upon both the
right and left arms of these chairs are circular frames, in cane, shaped
to receive bowls of water Above each of the screen-chairs stands a
smaller chair, set to face the larger one; and beside the small chair,
on its right hand, is a low table, upon which are arranged the
instruments and toilet necessaries employed in the process of manicure
On the right, between the window and the partition is a three-cornered
what-not, on which are set out packets of soap and of powder and other
articles of the toilet. At the further end of the room, in the centre,
stands a desk laden with account-books; and above the desk, its back
against the partition, is a chair. On the right is a hat-and-umbrella
stand. Nearer, in the centre, is a large circular table on which are
displayed bottles of scent and liquid soap, cases of instruments for
manicure, and some wooden bowls of bath-soap with lather brushes. On the
right and left are ordinary chairs. Placed against the partition on the
left, and facing the audience, is a cabinet, making a display similar to
that upon the what-not. Nearer, on the left, there is another
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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