THE LAST OF THE DE MULLINS A Play without a Preface By St. John Hankin London: A. C. Fifield 1909 The Persons in the Play Hugo De Mullin Jane De Mullin.....His wife Mrs. Clouston......His sister. Janet De Mullin....(Mrs. Seagrave) Hugo’s eldest daughter. Johnny Seagrave....Her son. Hester De Mullin...Her sister. Bertha Aldenham Monty Bulstead Dr. Rolt...........The local doctor. Mr. Brown..........The curate. Miss Deanes Ellen..............Maid at the De Mullins’. The action of the play takes place at Brendon Underwood in Dorset, Acts I and III at the Manor House, the De Mullins’ house in the village, Act II on the borders of Brendon Forest. Three days pass between Acts I and II, five between Acts II and III. ACT I _Scene:_ The Inner Hall at the Manor House in Brendon-Underwood village. An old-fashioned white-panelled room. At the back is a big stone-mullioned Tudor window looking out on to the garden. On the left of this is a bay in which is a smaller window. A door in the bay leads out into the garden. People entering by this door pass the window before they appear. The furniture is oak, mostly Jacobean or older. The right-hand wall of the room is mainly occupied by a great Tudor fireplace, over which the De Mullin Coat of Arms is carved in stone. Above this a door leads to the outer hall and front door. A door on the opposite side of the room leads to the staircase and the rest of the house. The walls are hung with a long succession of family portraits of all periods and in all stages of dinginess as to both canvas and frame. When the curtain rises the stage is empty. Then Hester is seen to pass the window at the back, followed by Mr. Brown. A moment later they enter. Mr. Brown is a stout, rather unwholesome-looking curate, Hester a lean, angular girl of twenty-eight, very plainly and unattractively dressed in sombre tight-fitting clothes. She has a cape over her shoulders and a black hat on. Brown wears seedy clerical garments, huge boots and a squashy hat. The time is twelve o’clock in the morning of a fine day in September. HESTER Come in, Mr. Brown. I’ll tell mother you’re here. I expect she’s upstairs with father (going towards door). BROWN Don’t disturb Mrs. De Mullin, please. I didn’t mean to come in. HESTER You’ll sit down now you _are_ here? BROWN Thank you (_does so awkwardly_). I’m so glad to hear Mr. De Mullin is better. The Vicar will be glad too. HESTER Yes. Dr. Rolt thinks he will do all right now. BROWN You must have been very anxious when he was first taken ill. HESTER We were terribly anxious. [Hester _takes off her hat and cape and puts them down on the window seat_. BROWN I suppose there’s no doubt it was some sort of stroke? HESTER Dr. Rolt says no doubt. BROWN How did it happen? HESTER