NITA.
Oh!
COOLING.
Pitched himself forward on to his head.
NITA.
His head!
DAPHNE.
[_With a simper._] Don"t be anxious, Nita; there"s nothing to hurt _there_.
VON RETTENMAYER.
Poor Dwarf!
[_GABRIELLE and DE CASTRO now move over to the others._
FULKERSON.
Hullo, Gabs! Hullo, Sam!
GABRIELLE.
Ah, Bertie!
VON RETTENMAYER.
[_Kissing GABRIELLE"S hand._] Gabrielle!
GABRIELLE.
Ah, Von! [_To HENEAGE and GRIMWOOD._] Ah, boys! [_To MRS. STIDULPH._]
How"r" _you_?
DE CASTRO.
[_Shaking hands._] Daphne-- Nita-- Douglath-- Albert--!
FULKERSON.
I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Miss Kato-- Lord Farncombe----
[_A band of musicians have mustered upon the landing and there is the sound of the tuning of instruments._
COOLING.
[_Hurrying across to the double-door._] No, no; no music yet. Wait for Miss Parradell! [_As he reaches the double-door, ROPER enters quickly at the right-hand door at the back and seizes his arm._] Eh?
ROPER.
[_To COOLING._] It"s all right; she"ll be round in a minute.
COOLING.
Amiable?
ROPER.
Angelic. She"s wearing a new dress, and that"s taken her mind off it.
COOLING.
Her bark"s always worse than her bite. I knew it "ud blow over.
ROPER.
[_Formidably._] Oh, but I have given her such a talking to! [_COOLING pa.s.ses through the double-door, and instructs the leader of the band, while ROPER bustles over to the throng on the left._] Hul-lo!
[_Imitating a street news-vendor._] Speshul edishun, cricket, py-per!
[_Shaking hands all round._] Dolly-- Nita-- Gabs-- Daphne! Douglas-- Albert! Ah, here you are, Farncombe! [_Discovering STIDULPH._] Hul-lo, Colonel! Results, py-per, extry speshul!
[_ENID MONCREIFF, WILFRID TAVISH, and SIGISMUND SHIRLEY enter at the right-hand door at the back. ENID is a long, spare-figured girl with the lissom walk of a dancer; TAVISH and SHIRLEY are tall, clean-shaven men of gentlemanlike appearance. VON RETTENMAYER makes for ENID eagerly and is followed, at a more moderate pace, by HENEAGE, GRIMWOOD, and DE CASTRO, and by FULKERSON bringing FARNCOMBE._
VON RETTENMAYER.
Miss Mongreiff! [_Kissing ENID"S hand with fervour._] Your dancing was more zurprizing to-night than ever. [_To TAVISH and SHIRLEY._] Aha, my friends!
ENID.
[_Shaking hands with HENEAGE, GRIMWOOD, and DE CASTRO._] Well, Stew!
How are you, Jerry! Sam!
FULKERSON.
I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Miss Moncreiff-- Lord Farncombe.
ROPER.
[_Hurrying across._] Hul-lo, here"s Enid!
DE CASTRO.
[_Shaking hands with TAVISH and SHIRLEY._] Piethe went thplendidly thith evenin", didn"t it?
FULKERSON.