[_To FARNCOMBE._] Here's Daphne Dure-- and Nita Trevenna. [_Going to the new comers._] Hullo, Daphne! Hullo, Nita! How'r'yer, Douglas! Hullo, Albert! DAPHNE and NITA. How d'ye do, Bertie? [_To VON RETTENMAYER._] How d'ye do, Von? VON RETTENMAYER. [_Kissing their hands._] Dear ladies! [_To GLYNN and PALK._] Aha, Mr. Glynn-- Mr. Balk--! DAPHNE and NITA. [_To HENEAGE and GRIMWOOD._] How d'ye do, Stewie? How d'ye do, Jerry? [_To MRS. STIDULPH._] Oh, Dolly! That you, Dolly? MRS. STIDULPH. Well, girls! FULKERSON. Here! I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Miss Dure-- Miss Trevenna-- Lord Farncombe. Douglas-- Albert-- Lord Farncombe. NITA. [_Pouncing upon Cooling._] I say, Morris! COOLING. What is it, my dear? NITA. Is it true that little Kennedy's met with an accident? COOLING. Yes; can't join us. FULKERSON. The Dwarf! What's happened? COOLING. Ran his car into a 'bus, just outside the theatre. NITA. Oh! COOLING. Pitched himself forward on to his head. NITA. His head! DAPHNE. [_With a simper._] Don't be anxious, Nita; there's nothing to hurt _there_. VON RETTENMAYER. Poor Dwarf! [_GABRIELLE and DE CASTRO now move over to the others._ FULKERSON. Hullo, Gabs! Hullo, Sam! GABRIELLE. Ah, Bertie! VON RETTENMAYER. [_Kissing GABRIELLE'S hand._] Gabrielle! GABRIELLE. Ah, Von! [_To HENEAGE and GRIMWOOD._] Ah, boys! [_To MRS. STIDULPH._] How'r' _you_? DE CASTRO. [_Shaking hands._] Daphne-- Nita-- Douglath-- Albert--! FULKERSON. I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Miss Kato-- Lord Farncombe---- [_A band of musicians have mustered upon the landing and there is the sound of the tuning of instruments._ COOLING. [_Hurrying across to the double-door._] No, no; no music yet. Wait for Miss Parradell! [_As he reaches the double-door, ROPER enters quickly at the right-hand door at the back and seizes his arm._] Eh? ROPER. [_To COOLING._] It's all right; she'll be round in a minute. COOLING. Amiable? ROPER. Angelic. She's wearing a new dress, and that's taken her mind off it. COOLING. Her bark's always worse than her bite. I knew it 'ud blow over. ROPER. [_Formidably._] Oh, but I have given her such a talking to! [_COOLING passes through the double-door, and instructs the leader of the band, while ROPER bustles over to the throng on the left._] Hul-lo! [_Imitating a street news-vendor._] Speshul edishun, cricket, py-per! [_Shaking hands all round._] Dolly-- Nita-- Gabs-- Daphne! Douglas-- Albert! Ah, here you are, Farncombe! [_Discovering STIDULPH._] Hul-lo, Colonel! Results, py-per, extry speshul! [_ENID MONCREIFF, WILFRID TAVISH, and SIGISMUND SHIRLEY enter at the right-hand door at the back. ENID is a long, spare-figured girl with the lissom walk of a dancer; TAVISH and SHIRLEY are tall, clean-shaven men of gentlemanlike appearance. VON RETTENMAYER makes for ENID eagerly and is followed, at a more moderate pace, by HENEAGE, GRIMWOOD, and DE CASTRO, and by FULKERSON bringing FARNCOMBE._