The Great Adventure: A Play of Fancy in Four Acts — John Shaqi
The Great Adventure: A Play of Fancy in Four ActsBennett, Arnold
General
The Great Adventure: A Play of Fancy in Four Acts
Bennett, Arnold
English drama
CARVE. Yes. It's a will that was made in Venice I don't know how long
ago--just after your aunt died and you had that appalling and final
shindy by correspondence about the lease of this house. Everything is
left for the establishment of an International Gallery of Painting and
Sculpture in London, and you're the sole executor, and you get a legacy
of five pounds for your trouble.
CYRUS. Yes.... So I see. No doubt my cousin imagined it would annoy me.
CARVE. He did.
CYRUS. He told you so?
CARVE. He said it would be one in the eye for you--and he wondered
whether you'd decline the executorship.
CYRUS. Well, my man, I may tell you at once that I shall not renounce
probate. I never expected a penny from my cousin. I always assumed he'd
do something silly with his money, and I'm relieved to find it's no
worse. In fact, the idea of a great public institution in London being
associated with my family is rather pleasant.
CARVE. But he meant to destroy that will long since.
CYRUS. (As he cons the will.) How do you know? Has he made a later
will?
CARVE. No.
CYRUS. Well, then! Besides, I fail to see why you should be so anxious
to have it destroyed. You come into eighty pounds a year under it.
CARVE. I was forgetting that.
CYRUS. (Reading.) "I bequeath to my servant, Albert Shawn, who I am
convinced is a thorough rascal, but who is an unrivalled valet, courier,
and factotum, the sum of eighty pounds a year for life, payable
quarterly in advance, provided he is in my service at the time of my
death."
(CARVE laughs shortly.)
You don't want to lose that, do you? Of course, if the term "thorough
rascal" is offensive to you, you can always decline the money. (Folds
up will and puts it in his pocket--CARVE walks about.) Now where's
the doctor?
CARVE. He's left his card. There it is.
CYRUS. He might have waited.
CARVE. Yes. But he didn't. His house is only three doors off.
CYRUS. (Looking at his watch.) I'll go in and see him about the
certificate. Now you haven't begun to put your things together, and
you've only got a bit over half an hour. In less than that time I shall
be back. I shall want to look through your luggage before you leave.
CARVE. (Lightly.) Shall you?
CYRUS. By the way, you have a latchkey? (CARVE nods.) Give it me,
please.
(CARVE surrenders latchkey.)
(CYRUS turns to go--As he is disappearing through the door, L.,
CARVE starts forward.)
CARVE. I say.
CYRUS. What now?
CARVE. (Subsiding weakly.) Nothing.
(Exit CYRUS. Sound of front door opening and of voices in
hall.)
(Then re-enter CYRUS with JANET CANNOT.)
CYRUS. This is Mr. Albert Shawn. Shawn, a friend of yours.
(Exit L.)
CARVE. (Pleased.) Oh! You!
JANET. Good-morning. D'you know, I had a suspicion the other night that
you must be Mr. Shawn?
CARVE. Had you? Well, will you sit down--er--I say (with a humorous
mysterious air). What do you think of that chap? (Pointing in
direction of hall.)
JANET. Who is it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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