The Master of Mrs. Chilvers Part 16

PHOEBE Goodbye, old man. [She stretches out her hand.]

GEOFFREY Goodbye. [She shakes hands with a smile, exchanges a casual "goodbye" with ELIZABETH.]

[They go towards the door.]

[SIGSBY re-enters.]

SIGSBY [To LAMB.] Are you going?

LAMB Yes. I'll see you to-morrow morning. About ten o'clock.

SIGSBY I shall be here. [He exchanges a "good afternoon" with the others.]

[They go out. SIGSBY crosses and goes into the other room.]

ANNYS [She has let fall the flowers on the table. She crosses to where GEOFFREY still stands by the desk, his back towards her. She stretches out her hand, touches him. He does not move.] Geoffrey!

[But still he takes no notice.]

I am so sorry. We must talk it over quietly--at home.

GEOFFREY [He turns.] Home! I have no home. I have neither children nor wife. I KEEP a political opponent.

[ANNYS starts back with a cry. He crosses in front of her and seats himself at the table. The flowers are lying there; he throws them into the waste-paper basket.]

ANNYS [She puts on her cloak, moves towards the door. Half-way she pauses, makes a movement towards him. But he will not see.

Then a hard look comes into her eyes, and without another word she goes out, leaving the door open.]

[SIGSBY is heard moving in the other room.]

GEOFFREY [He is writing.] Sigsby.

SIGSBY Hallo!

GEOFFREY That poster I told young Gordon I wouldn't sanction, "The Woman spouting politics, the Man returning to a slattern's home."

[SIGSBY enters.]

SIGSBY I have countermanded them.

GEOFFREY Countermand them again. We shall want a thousand.

SIGSBY [Can hardly believe his ears.]

GEOFFREY [With a gesture round the room.] All of them. "A Man for Men!" "Save the Children!" "Guard your Homes!" All the d.a.m.ned collection. Order as many as you want.

SIGSBY [His excitement rising.] I can go ahead. You mean it?

GEOFFREY [He looks at him.] It's got to be a fight! [A moment.

He returns to his writing.] Telephone Hake that I shall be dining at the Reform Club.

CURTAIN.

THE THIRD ACT

SCENE:- A room in the Town Hall, Poplar. A high, bare, cold room, unfurnished except for cane-bottomed chairs ranged against the walls. French windows right give on to a balcony overlooking the street. Door in back opens upon a stone pa.s.sage. A larger door opens into another room, through which one pa.s.ses to reach the room in which the counting of the votes is taking place. A fire burns-- or rather tries to burn. The room is lighted from the centre of the ceiling by an electric sun. A row of hat-pegs is on the wall between the two doors. The time is about 9 p.m.

[People entering from the street wear coats or cloaks, &c., the season being early spring. If pa.s.sing through or staying in the room, they take off their outdoor things and hang them up, putting them on again before going out.]

[JAWBONES is coaxing the reluctant fire by using a newspaper as a blower. He curses steadily under his breath. The door opens.

GINGER enters; she is dressed in cheap furs.]

JAWBONES Shut the door, can't yer!

GINGER Don't yer want a draught?

JAWBONES No, I don't. Not any more than I've got.

GINGER [She shuts the door.] 'Ave they begun counting the votes?

JAWBONES Been at it for the last three-quarters of an hour.

GINGER Who's going to win?

JAWBONES One of 'em.

[LADY MOGTON has entered. She has come from the room where they are counting the votes.]

Shut that door! [He glances over his shoulder, sees his mistake.]

Beg pardon! [To himself.] Thought 'twas the other fool!

LADY MOGTON [She shuts the door. To GINGER.] Have you seen Mrs.

Chilvers?

GINGER Not since the afternoon, your ladys.h.i.+p.

LADY MOGTON She is coming, I suppose?

GINGER I think so, your ladys.h.i.+p.

LADY MOGTON It's very cold in here, Gordon.

JAWBONES Yes, my lady. Not what I call a cosy room.

LADY MOGTON [To GINGER.] Jump into a cab. See if you can find her. Perhaps she has been detained at one of the committee-rooms.