“THIS WAS A MAN” _NOEL COWARD_ “THIS WAS A MAN” A Comedy in Three Acts [Illustration] Garden City, New York Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. MCMXXXIII COPYRIGHT, 1926 BY NOEL COWARD ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES ERRATUM _Applications regarding performing rights should be addressed to the author, care of the publishers._ TO JOHN C. WILSON PALERMO, _April 1926_ “THIS WAS A MAN” CHARACTERS (In the order of their appearance) EDWARD CHURT CAROL CHURT HARRY CHALLONER MARGOT BUTLER BERRY BOBBIE ROMFORD ZOE ST. MERRYN MAJOR EVELYN BATHURST BLACKWELL SCENES ACT I SCENE I: Edward Chart’s studio in Knightsbridge—2.30 A.M. SCENE II: The same. The following afternoon. ACT II SCENE: Evelyn Bathurst’s flat. The same night. ACT III SCENE: The same as Act I. The following morning. “THIS WAS A MAN” Act One ACT I SCENE I _EDWARD CHURT’S studio in Knightsbridge is furnished with mingled opulence and good taste—he is a successful modern portrait-painter._ [_When the curtain rises it is about 2.30 a.m. There is a faint glow from the fireplace on the left; a table stands more or less C., upon which is a reading lamp illumining a decanter of whisky, some siphons, a plate of biscuits and another of sandwiches, and two or three glasses; there are also a box of cigarettes and matches. The rest of the room is in comparative darkness. There is the sound of a taxi drawing up in the street, then after a suitable pause the noise of the front door being opened. CAROL CHURT enters, followed by HARRY CHALLONER. They are both in evening dress. CAROL is lovely and exquisitely gowned; her vivid personality is composed of a minimum of intellect and a maximum of sex. HARRY possesses all the earmarks of a social success—he is an excellent ballroom dancer, compared with which his activities in the city are negligible._] CAROL Don’t make a noise. HARRY I wasn’t. CAROL I didn’t say you were—I said don’t. HARRY All right. CAROL Do you want a drink? HARRY Yes, please. CAROL Help yourself then—and give me one. [_She takes off her cloak and lights a cigarette._] HARRY Say when. CAROL That’s enough. [_He fills up the glass with soda and hands it to her._] HARRY Here. CAROL Thanks. HARRY You are a marvel. CAROL Why? HARRY You’re so steady. CAROL I don’t see any reason for being anything else. HARRY You don’t think he’ll find out? CAROL