Evening star., 1896-03-14
ACT /.
SCENE.

Breakfast room in Lord AvenePs country
house. Butler discovered He arranges
chairs smcoths the table cloth, puts news
paper at the back of Lord Avenel's chair.
Takes bundle of letters from tray on the
sideboard and lays them before three
chairs.
Butler. Here's the lot, and a pretty lot it
Is. Glad I'm not his lordship's secretary.
Answering all these letters every day
would kill me in Il week. Give me my
pantry and the silver and I ask no better
lot. For his lordship-one. two-(counts)-
twenty-four letters, with a parcel CTakes
up small parcel tied with red tape and
sealed, looks at it, feels it. weighs it,
presses it) Marked 'Irnmediate" Looks
like as if it had paper inside of it. More
reaoing-nlore writing. That pore young
man, the secretary. Some folks are great
ly to be pitied. Now my lady's letters.
one, two-heres scented one-something
sweet from another lady-great ladies
love each other vast deal more than my
friends in the servants hall. Here's a
tradesman's bill, L take it, Her ladyship
isn't In hurry to pay her bills. but give
her time, give her time. What's the use
OF being countess if you can't get time
Ore, two tcounts) eleven letters, mostly
Invitations. Pleasure is weary business
Give me my pantry ami my silver Hullo.
my lady is just exactly in the same hand
writing as the packet fer my lord, Odd,
aih't it? compares then) Great square
hand-same SIS; same is. same-welI 1t
doesn't matter to me. Here's the cap
tain's letters-one-thats a woman's
handwriting. The captain has way with
him Another letter-and sHothar-and-
dash my buttons, II this isn't the rum
miest goI Why-this letter is written in
the same handwriting as the other two.
1t must be hospital letJer-or a church
restoring-or permanent incapable-well
-well-tiays down letters before Heuten-
ants chair).
ttiEteE Charlie Vernon)
Vernon Her ladyship down yet?
6htler- Not yet, sir. Your letters, sir.
puts them on tray and hands them
Lieut. Vernon snatches the letter whose
handwriting has astonished the butler,
puts the rest in his pocket and tears this
ore open ard reads hurriedly)
Vernon. The devil.
(Butler, with lmpassiye face goes on
sInc othipg table cloth. setting knives and
forks i'll proper places. pokes tire)
(Eernon walks up and down the room
with veXation)
(Butier walks round the table critically
EXIT
Vernon. G4eaas the letter agaim Since
You have given me no answer to my first
letter and none to my second, l shall
prove 10 you that l can bite as well as
bark. I have sent all the love letters that
you have been writing to Lady Avenel to
his lordship. You VIII have an opportu-
nifty of explaining things to him-I under
stand that you are his guest. This will
make the business all the p,easanter for
you This is a,pretty business. Why the
devil didn't Isabel destroy the confounded
letters wnen we broke 1t off? This person
is woman, clearly: an uneducated woman
where is Isabel? Why doesn't she come
down III proper time for breakfast? Oh,
corfound the thing, What am I to say?
There's no date, 1 know there's no date on
any of the letters. He will think they
were written yesterday,
CEnter Lady Avenel.)
Lady A Good morning, Charlie. Have you
got any letters this morning-anyth thing
from CIar.ce?
Vernon / haven't IookeI-yet. I've had
something else to think about
Lady A What is the matter, my dear boy?
You look worried
Ferrcn- l am worried. Look here Isabel
you remember two years ago, when l
thought that You were n love with me
Lady A tcoldly) Well? This is hardly the
place for II csc "reminiscences, is it?
Vernon. Ies-I-know-but-Th were let
ters-l wrote you-a lot of letters
Lady A What about them? l daresay there
were-1 remember, now, that there were.