Three Lancashire Plays: The Game; The Northerners; ZackBrighouse, Harold
General
Three Lancashire Plays: The Game; The Northerners; Zack
Brighouse, Harold
English drama -- 20th century; Lancashire (England) -- Drama; Political plays
Virginia. Jenny, please, aunt.
Mrs. Munning. Jenny!
Virginia. Virginia's no name to live with.
Mrs. Munning. Well, as you like. Why don't you sit?
Virginia. I didn't pay the flyman.
Mrs. Munning. As if we'd let you! It'll be a pleasure to Paul to see to
that. You'll remember Paul?
Virginia. Very vaguely. As a tiny boy.
Mrs. Munning. He's a big man now. He'll be helping the flyman up
with your boxes, only we don't hear them because this house is so
extraordinarily well-built you can't hear sounds in it at all. It's a
perfect refuge of peace. Just what you want to cure your nerves with
quiet and----
(_Several loud bumps are heard above. Mrs. Munning looks disconcerted._)
Virginia (_quickly_). I'm afraid my box is very heavy. Mrs. Munning
(_recovering_). Oh, Paul won't mind. He's wonderfully strong. Will you
have tea now or would you rather go to your room first? Sally shall show
you. Virginia (_rising_). Thank you.
Mrs. Munning (_speaking at Sally_). Our guest room is directly over
here.
(_Virginia nods and goes out._)
Sally. That's your room, Mrs. Munning.
Mrs. Munning. You keep that to yourself.
(_Sally nods, and goes out after Virginia. Mrs. Munning fusses a moment
at the tea tablet then suddenly thinking, goes to the window and opens
it._)
(_Calling softly_). Zack! Zack! Zack!
(_Paul enters. He has changed to a brown suit of country cut._)
Paul. What do you want Zack for? (_He speaks at her back._)
Mrs. Munning (_turning violently_). Eh? Oh, it's you.
Paul. Yes. What's to do?
Mrs. Munning. I've had so much on hand with that Sally turning up so
late that it slipped my mind about Zack.
Paul. What about Zack?
Mrs. Munning. I've forgotten to warn him.
Paul. Warn?
Mrs. Munning. About the catering, and Sally and so on. If we don't make
it as plain to him as Monday's dinner he'll give us away in the inside
of two minutes. You know what Zack is.
Paul. I'd leave him alone. He's safer out of the way than in it.
Mrs. Munning. That'll not do. He'll chose the best wrong time for
turning up. Trust Zack for doing something awkward.
Paul (_going l._). I'll have a look round.
Mrs. Munning. As like as not the wastrel's sleeping somewhere.
Paul. Or reading in a book.
Mrs. Munning. I'll give him read.
(_Enter Sally_).
You've been a fine time showing Miss Cavender her room. (_Exit Paul._)
Sally. I've been helping her undo her box, Mrs. Munning.
Mrs. Munning. Trust you for prying, I suppose. Sally. I didn't look
before she asked me. But when I did, I saw some sights. The ironing
she'll make. Frills! They're the width of my hand and more.
Mrs. Munning (_angrily_). Will you go into the kitchen and get those
sandwiches cut?
Sally. I'm going. (_She gets to door, then turns._) But I'll tell you
this much, Mrs. Munning, that there'll be a row of eyes on washing day
a-watching me hang Miss Cavender's underlinen on the line. This village
hasn't seen such sights before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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