THE CROWD: Hip hip hip, _hooray!_ Hip hip hip, _hooray!_ Hip hip hip, _hooray!_
FAME: Hi, and what"s this?
DE REVES (_miserably_): Oh, a golf stick.
FAME: He"s a man"s man! He"s a virile man! He"s a manly man!
[_Wild cheers from the_ CROWD, _this time only from women"s voices._
DE REVES: Oh, this is terrible. This is terrible. This is terrible.
[FAME _gives another peal on her horn. She is about to speak._
DE REVES (_solemnly and mournfully_): One moment, one moment ...
FAME: Well, out with it.
DE REVES: For ten years, divine lady, I have worshipped you, offering all my songs ... I find ... I find I am not worthy....
FAME: Oh, you"re all right.
DE REVES: No, no, I am not worthy. It cannot be. It cannot possibly be.
Others deserve you more. I must say it! _I cannot possibly love you._ Others are worthy. You will find others. But I, no, no, no. It cannot be. It cannot be. Oh, pardon me, but it _must_ not.
[_Meanwhile_ FAME _has been lighting one of his cigarettes. She sits in a comfortable chair, leans right back, and puts her feet right up on the table amongst the poet"s papers._
Oh, I fear I offend you. But--it cannot be.
FAME: Oh, that"s all right, old bird; no offence. I ain"t going to leave you.
DE REVES: But--but--but--I do not understand.
FAME: I"ve come to stay, I have.
[_She blows a puff of smoke through her trumpet_.
CURTAIN.
[Transcriber"s Note: Footnotes indicate where typographical errors in the original edition have been corrected.]
[Footnote 1: Corrected from "eaxct"]
[Footnote 2: Corrected from "wouln"t"]
[Footnote 3: Corrected from "MRS. SPLURGE"]
[Footnote 4: An unmatched parenthesis has been deleted]
[Footnote 5: Corrected from "Neek"]
[Footnote 6: Corrected from "Neek"]
[Footnote 7: Corrected from "scuptors"]
[Footnote 8: Corrected from "_Hamlet"s_"]
[Footnote 9: Corrected from "Wouln"t"]