Dolly Reforming Herself - LightNovelsOnl.com
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_Harry._ No, by Jove, it proves that your father noticed what a confounded, cussed----
_Dolly._ Go on! Go on! Say it!
_Matt._ Shus.h.!.+ Shus.h.!.+ Well, Harry, what did you say?
_Harry._ Well, not wis.h.i.+ng to give Dolly away----
_Dolly._ Ha! ha! Not wis.h.i.+ng to give me away!
_Harry._ Not then! But, by Jove, if any decent chap were to come along now----
_Dolly._ [_Exploding._] There! There! [_To_ MATT.] And you sit there and hear my own husband insult me in my own house!
_Matt._ No! No!
_Dolly._ But there you sit! There you sit!
_Matt._ [_Jumps up fiercely._] Now, Harry!
_Harry._ [_Fiercely._] Well, now, Mr. Barron----
_Dolly._ Why don't you defend me? Why don't you demand an apology?
_Matt._ What for?
_Dolly._ For everything! For to-night! For that night at Folkestone!
_Harry._ That night at Folkestone! Why, your father was quite on my side----
_Matt._ What?
_Dolly._ He wasn't; were you, Dad?
_Matt._ No--no.
_Harry._ What? [_Fiercely._] Do you remember exactly what pa.s.sed between us in the smoking-room, Mr. Barron?
_Matt._ No.
_Harry._ Then I'll tell you----
_Matt._ [_Retreating towards door._] No--no--I don't want to know----
_Harry._ [_Following him up, shouting a little._] You said, "I know what she's like in her high gales! I remember what the little devil was like at home."
_Dolly._ [_Pursuing him up to door._] Father! You didn't say that!
_Matt._ No--no, my darling--quite a mistake--quite a mistake--altogether a mistake.
[_Gets thankfully off at back._
_Dolly._ [_Calls after him._] Then why don't you stay and tell him so!
_Harry._ [_Shouts after_ MATT.] It's not a mistake!
_Dolly._ [_Calls after_ MATT.] It's cowardly of you to leave me here to be insulted.
_Harry._ [_Goes up to door, shouts._] It's not a mistake! You patted me on the back and said, "Poor chap! Poor chap!" You know you did! [_Closes the door, comes fiercely down to_ DOLLY.] It's not a mistake! He could see you had insulted Miss Smithson.
_Dolly._ I had not insulted her! I was far too civil to her, considering that the next evening you took her out on the Leas, when you ought to have been at billiards----
_Harry._ I took her out on the Leas!
_Dolly._ Yes! You weren't in the billiard-room! So where were you? Where were you?
_Harry._ I jolly well don't know, and I--I----
_Dolly._ Say it! Say it!
_Harry._ I d.a.m.ned well don't care!
_Dolly._ Ah!
[_She seizes the box, brings it up to him, puts it irritatingly in front of him; he seizes it, they struggle for it, trying to take it out of each other's hands; she screams, he tries to get it; there is a scuffle round the room; he tries to rub her knuckles; she makes a little feint to bite him; in the struggle the box drops on the floor a little below the table, right._
_Dolly._ Jobling! Jobling! Jobling!
_Harry._ Now, madam, for the last time, have I all your bills?
_Dolly._ Jobling! Jobling! Jobling!
_Harry._ Have I all your bills?
_Dolly._ Jobling! Jobling! Jobling!
_Harry._ Once more, madam, have I all your bills?
_Dolly._ No, you haven't!
_Harry._ Then please hand them over to me this instant, so that I may take proceedings.
_Dolly._ [_Laughing._] Proceedings! Ha! Take your proceedings!
_Harry._ By Jove! I will take proceedings.
_Dolly._ Take them! Take them!
_Harry._ [_Walking about furiously with the bills._] So this is the way the money goes! [_Banging the bills._] While I have to smoke twopenny cigars! And can't get a decent dinner!
