W-w-when, then. When we marry, you"ll be obliged to resign your commission in the Guards, won"t you?
FARNCOMBE.
[_Snapping his fingers._] P"sh! I shan"t care a rap about that.
LILY.
[_s.n.a.t.c.hing her hand away._] The sn.o.bs! The sn.o.bs! They"d let you marry any bit of trash in your own set; but a Pandora girl, though she"s as pure as the Queen of England----! Oh, the contemptible sn.o.bs!
FARNCOMBE.
[_Regaining possession of her hand._] H"sh! H"sh! It-- it"s the practice----
LILY.
Blow the practice! A cheerful reflection for _me_, it"ll be. The arrant sn.o.bs!
FARNCOMBE.
[_Stroking her hand._] Ah! Ah!
LILY.
And then-- poor mother! You-- you won"t be very proud of poor mother.
FARNCOMBE.
Your mother? [_Boyishly._] Oh, she-- she"s an awfully good sort.
LILY.
She hasn"t an H. to her name.
FARNCOMBE.
[_Inadvertently._] She _oughtn"t_ to have.
LILY.
[_Withdrawing her hand again, sharply._] She calls herself _H_upjohn, you mean!
FARNCOMBE.
[_Distressed._] No, no, no. [_In a difficulty._] Er-- at any rate, h"s don"t lead you to heaven, do they?
LILY.
[_Gloomily._] You"re right; mother"s lead _her_ to _"eaven_. [_Rising and walking away._] Well, you"d better go now.
FARNCOMBE.
[_Rising._] And to-night----?
LILY.
No; I"ll come home alone.
FARNCOMBE.
Lily----!
LILY.
[_Imperatively._] Please----!
FARNCOMBE.
When----?
LILY.
[_Moving to the door on the left._] Not for two or three days. Give me time to shake down over this.
FARNCOMBE.
[_Taking up his hat and cane which he has left upon the centre table._] Sunday?
LILY.
[_Fretfully._] No.
FARNCOMBE.
Monday?
LILY.
[_Opening the door._] No.
FARNCOMBE.
[_Joining her at the door._] Tuesday?
LILY.
[_Appealingly._] I-- I"ll write. [_Again he takes her hand, she keeping him at a distance. He attempts to lessen the distance, but she checks him, shaking her head._] Not just yet, Eddie. [_He smiles at her tenderly and, with a bow, departs. From the doorway, she watches him disappear; then she shuts the door and wanders listlessly to the door of the bedroom. Her hand lingers upon the k.n.o.b for a moment, and then she opens the door a little way and calls._] Mother! Mother----!
[_She leaves the door and is returning to the settee when MRS. UPJOHN enters._