JEAN. To ask that woman to let me have the honour of working with her. (_She disappears in the crowd._) CURTAIN. ACT III SCENE: _The drawing-room at old_ MR. DUNBARTON'S _house in Eaton Square. Six o'clock the same evening. As the Curtain rises the door_ (L.) _opens and_ JEAN _appears on the threshold. She looks back into her own sitting-room, then crosses the drawing-room, treading softly on the parquet spaces between the rugs. She goes to the window and is in the act of parting the lace curtains when the folding doors_ (C.) _are opened by the_ BUTLER. JEAN (_to the Servant_). Sh! (_She goes softly back to the door she has left open and closes it carefully. When she turns, the_ BUTLER _has stepped aside to admit_ GEOFFREY STONOR, _and departed, shutting the folding doors._ STONOR _comes rapidly forward._) (_Before he gets a word out._) Speak low, please. STONOR (_angrily_). I waited about a whole hour for you to come back. (JEAN _turns away as though vaguely looking for the nearest chair._) If you didn't mind leaving _me_ like that, you might have considered Lady John. JEAN (_pausing_). Is she here with you? STONOR. No. My place was nearer than this, and she was very tired. I left her to get some tea. We couldn't tell whether you'd be here, or _what_ had become of you. JEAN. Mr. Trent got us a hansom. STONOR. Trent? JEAN. The Chairman of the meeting. STONOR. "Got us----"? JEAN. Miss Levering and me. STONOR (_incensed_). MISS L---- BUTLER (_opens the door and announces_). Mr. Farnborough. (_Enter_ MR. RICHARD FARNBOROUGH--_more flurried than ever._) FARN. (_seeing_ STONOR). At last! You'll forgive this incursion, Miss Dunbarton, when you hear---- (_Turns abruptly back to_ STONOR.) They've been telegraphing you all over London. In despair they set me on your track. STONOR. Who did? What's up? FARN. (_lays down his hat and fumbles agitatedly in his breast-pocket_). There was the devil to pay at Dutfield last night. The Liberal chap tore down from London and took over your meeting! STONOR. Oh?--Nothing about it in the Sunday paper _I_ saw. FARN. Wait till you see the Press to-morrow morning! There was a great rally and the beggar made a rousing speech. STONOR. What about? FARN. Abolition of the Upper House---- STONOR. They were at that when I was at Eton! FARN. Yes. But this new man has got a way of putting things!--the people went mad. (_Pompously._) The Liberal platform as defined at Dutfield is going to make a big difference. STONOR (_drily_). You think so. FARN. Well, your agent says as much. (_Opens telegram._) STONOR. My---- (_Taking telegram._) "Try find Stonor"--Hm! Hm! FARN. (_pointing_).--"tremendous effect of last night's Liberal manifesto ought to be counteracted in to-morrow's papers." (_Very earnestly._) You see, Mr. Stonor, it's a battle-cry we want. STONOR (_turns on his heel_). Claptrap!