EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
My son.
[ANGeLE appears with the infant.]
ANGeLE.
[Mysteriously.] Is it alright, milord?
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
Hush! [To LADY TWOMBLEY.] Is Egidia there?
[SIR JULIAN and LADY EUPHEMIA re-enter.]
LADY TWOMBLEY.
No.
[LADY TWOMBLEY joins SIR JULIAN and LADY EUPHEMIA.]
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
[To ANGeLE.] All right. [Fondly to the infant.] My soldier boy! [ANGeLE advances to DRUMDURRIS. He produces a small toy gun and a little drum from a box he carries and hands them to ANGeLE.] Don"t let Lady Drumdurris discover these.
ANGeLE.
No.
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
Above all, let the drum be m.u.f.fled.
ANGeLE.
Yees, milord.
[EGIDIA enters.]
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
I expect some small cannon by the evening post. Go.
[EGIDIA comes between ANGeLE and DRUMDURRIS, the DOWAGER following.]
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
Ah!
ANGeLE.
Oh, miladi!
EGIDIA.
I am right, then.
[She takes the toys from ANGeLE and points to the door. ANGeLE withdraws with the infant.]
DOWAGER.
Keith--Egidia! Don"t disagree here!
EGIDIA.
[To DRUMDURRIS.] I was loth to credit you with such treachery.
DOWAGER.
Name some convenient hour to disagree this afternoon. I will willingly be present.
EGIDIA.
I have long suspected this conspiracy to antic.i.p.ate my son"s mature judgment. Keith, there is a gulf between us which can never be bridged over.
[EGIDIA joins the others.]
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
Mother, my life is wasted.
[VALENTINE, roughly dressed in cords and gaiters, enters, followed by BROOKE.]
VALENTINE WHITE.
Are you ready, Lord Drumdurris?
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.
We are waiting, I presume, for Mr. Lebanon.
BROOKE TWOMBLEY.
I"ll go and stir him up. Ugh! What!
[BROOKE goes out.]
EARL OF DRUMDURRIS.