Mere figure!
COLONEL.
d.a.m.ned fine figure, too!
[_To himself, but aloud._
ENID.
Colonel!
COLONEL.
Ten thousand pardons! I was thinking of something else. Pray forgive my bad language!
ENID.
Oh, I"m used to it! Victoria"s is much worse!
COLONEL.
Miss Vivash!
ENID.
Vulgar-minded thing! Learned French on purpose to read Zola"s novels.
I don"t suppose that even _you_ have read them.
COLONEL.
Oh, haven"t I? Every one!
ENID.
I don"t believe it, Colonel!
COLONEL.
I"m a shocking old sinner! I never professed to be anything else!
ENID.
I simply don"t believe it! You men exaggerate so! You make yourselves out to be so much worse than you are. Whereas we women pretend to be so much better. That"s the worst of us! We are such hypocrites! Oh, if you knew as much about women as _I_ do----
COLONEL [_aside, much interested_].
Now I"m going to hear something. [_Meanwhile MARGERY has crept in, R., behind them. She flings her handkerchief over the COLONEL"S eyes, and ties it in a knot behind his head, then skips away from him. Rising._]
You rascal! It"s that Margery! I know it is! Where are you? [_Groping about, MARGERY evading him, and in shrieks of laughter._] Margery, if I catch you!
MARGERY.
But you can"t!
[_ENID has risen to evade the COLONEL, who is groping all over the room--a sort of blind man"s buff--all laughing._
COLONEL [_seizing ENID_].
I"ve got you!
[_Kisses her. ENID shrieks. MARGERY roars. COLONEL tears off the handkerchief and stands aghast._
_Re-enter WELLS, L._
WELLS.
Lady Wargrave.
[_Sudden silence. Exit COLONEL, R. ENID runs out, C., in confusion._
_Enter LADY WARGRAVE, L., and comes down._
[_Exit WELLS, L. ENID re-appears C., and runs across stage behind LADY WARGRAVE, and off, L. MARGERY stands confused, not knowing how to greet LADY WARGRAVE._
LADY WARGRAVE [_putting out both hands_].
Margery! [_Holding both MARGERY"S hands_].
MARGERY.
Oh, Lady Wargrave!
LADY WARGRAVE.
Aunt. I"ve called to make amends to you.
MARGERY.
Amends?
LADY WARGRAVE.
For my neglect. [_Kisses her._] Forgive me, Margery, but your marriage was a shock to me. However, I"ve got over it. Perhaps, after all, Gerald has chosen wisely!
MARGERY.
Thank you for your kind words. I knew you had got over it.
LADY WARGRAVE.