Oh! Susannah! - LightNovelsOnl.com
You're reading novel online at LightNovelsOnl.com. Please use the follow button to get notifications about your favorite novels and its latest chapters so you can come back anytime and won't miss anything.
Pearl. We've got a nice thing in fathers, _(looking out of window)_ He's brought us up to London to put us on the market
Ruby. Yes, and by a cheap excursion. _(goes L.)_
Pearl. Now we know why we've come to encamp just across the street--it's to lay siege to a penniless cousin. _(picks up "Quayle on Muscles" off couch, takes it to table)_
Ruby. _(at small table up stage L., opens case, shrieks)_ Ach!
knives!
Pearl. _(looks up from book)_ _You_ wouldn't do for a doctor's wife, whatever Pa says, _(looks at picture)_ Besides, you're not free, but I am. _(sadly)_
Ruby. Pearl. there's Waverly! _(coming to her, looking over her shoulder at picture)_
Pearl. Yes, there's Waverly, but he's _(turns to next picture)_ most disappointing. He's been staying at Southsea with Lieutenant Merry for a whole week, _(turns page)_ and father's been away the whole time. _(turns page)_ And I've given him every possible encouragement. _(looks at picture)_ At least, of course I didn't go so far as _you_ did with Lieutenant Merry. You were--simply--_(turns page)_
Ruby. _(looking at picture)_ Shocking! _(shuts book and puts it back on couch)_
Pearl. Yes, you were! _(laughs)_
Ruby. How dare you! I never gave Andrew the slightest encouragement, _(sits on sofa)_
Pearl. My dear Ruby. I judge by results. He proposed to you the second day. _(comes and sits by her on sofa)_
Ruby. What about you? You let Waverly kiss you.
Pearl. Only once--just there; _(touches her cheek)_ and that was after a dance, which doesn't count. No, I've gone as far with Mr.
Vane as any girl, who isn't a born flirt, _(pointedly looking at Ruby)_ can go, and he's said nothing--yet So I'm going to get father to invite Doctor Sheppard down to Southsea, and I'll flirt _desperately_ with him.
_(Ruby crosses C.)_You see, I shall be obeying father--I shall get you out of your difficulty, and it will force _Waverly_ to say something--definite, _(sits on the word)_
Ruby. Oh, Pearl! What a clever idea! _(thinks)_ _Andrew_ hasn't been _quite_ so attentive since I accepted him. And, as you say, dear papa must be obeyed, so I'll flirt with Doctor Sheppard too, before Andrew--it'll do him a _world_ of good.
Pearl. Doctor Sheppard!
Ruby. No, _Andrew_, of course. Oh, Pearl. I wonder how they're getting on without us? Do they ever talk about us, do you think?
Pearl. Of course they do--_everybody_ talks about us--in Southsea.
Andrew. _(heard off)_ Not in? P'raps he's got a patient.
_(laughs)_
Ruby. It's Andrew! How do I look? _(jumps up and looks in mirror)_
_(Pearl tries to pull her away from it--Enter Andrew. followed by Waverly.)_
Waverly. _(looking at girls' backs and nudges Andrew)_ P'raps he's got two patients.
Andrew. Oh, Susannah! _(takes double stethoscope off table, aside to Waverly)_ Let's have a lark. I'll pretend to be the doctor.
Waver. No, no, never joke about business, _(scuffles to get stethoscope)_
_(Ruby looks round.)_
Andrew. Ruby! _(goes to her with outstretched arms)_
_(Pearl looks round.)_
Waver. _(aside)_ Pearl! Oh, lor! _(goes down r.)_ Pearl.
_(coyly)_ Mr. Vane! What attraction has brought you all the way from Southsea? _(follows him)_
_(Waverly looks confused.)_
Andrew. _(to Ruby)_ What's brought you? We called at Clarence Parade this morning and found that you'd flown up to London by the excurs--the early train, so we thought what a lark it'd be to run up on the chance of meeting you.
Waver. We didn't expect to find you at the doctor's.
Andrew. No. _(to Ruby. anxiously)_ Are you ill?
Ruby. _(laughing)_ No.
Waver, _(to Pearl. wearily)_ Don't say it's _you_.
Pearl. I'm _never_ ill. What's the matter with you?
Waver. _I've_ only come with _Andrew_, _(tries to cross to Andrew)_
_(Pearl pulls him back.)_
Ruby. _(screams)_ Oh Andrew. then it's _you!!!_ What's the matter with you?
Andrew. _(laughing)_ Nothing! Sound me if you like. _(offers stethoscope)_
Ruby. But _why_ have you come to see a _doctor_?
Andrew. _(laughs)_ I haven't--I've brought Vane to introduce him to my old school-fellow, dear old, serious, studious, short-sighted, absent-minded Jack Sheppard.
Ruby and Pearl. _(together)_ You know _Jack_?
Waver, and Andrew. _(surprised)_ Jack?
Ruby. Cousin Jack! Didn't you know?
Andrew. No, you never told us you _had_ any cousins. What a lark! Jack's my greatest friend--because we're such opposites, I suppose. I call him Dull Boy, because "all work and no play makes Jack------" see? Rather smart for me, and he calls me "Merry Andrew"--Andrew Merry--Merry Andrew--see? Oh, that was Jolly smart for Jack--only joke he ever made.
_(Ruby sits on couch--Andrew behind couch.)_
Waver. Why have you never mentioned his name?
Ruby. We haven't seen him since he was a little boy in kilts.
