The 'Mind the Paint' Girl - Arthur Wing Pinero (free children's online books TXT) š
- Author: Arthur Wing Pinero
- Performer: -
Book online Ā«The 'Mind the Paint' Girl - Arthur Wing Pinero (free children's online books TXT) šĀ». Author Arthur Wing Pinero
De Castro.
Detaining him. I thay, Carlton.
Smythe.
Eh?
De Castro.
Lowering his voice. Iāve been in front again to-night. Magnifithent! Marvellouth!
Smythe.
Resignedly. Itāll do; I shall get a couple oā years out of it.
De Castro.
Thereāth jutht one little improvement Iād like to thee, if I may thuggetht it.
Smythe.
Whatās that?
De Castro.
Linking his arm in Smytheās. Youāre thure you wonāt conthider me prethumptuouth?
Smythe.
Of course not; very kind of yer.
De Castro.
In Smytheās ear. If you could give GabthāMith Katoāa tiny bit more to do in the thecond actāā!
Smythe.
Nodding. Ah, yes, yes.
De Castro.
Sheāth a little lump oā talent, that gal, if you only realithed it; a perfect little lump oā talent.
Smythe.
Trying to escape. ErāIāll think it over.
De Castro.
Will yer! An extra thong! Thatāth all it need beāan extra thong! Oh, it would be thuch an improvement! Von Rettenmayer enters at the double-door. The waiters now go to the tables and lay a plate with a slice of melon upon it at each cover. Hereāth the Baron. Weāve been thitting together to-night, I and the Baron. Wringing Smytheās hand. Thankth. Joining Cooling and the others on the left as Smythe greets Von Rettenmayer. Hullo, Morrith! Shaking hands with Heneage and Grimwood. Well, boyth!
Smythe.
Shaking hands with Von Rettenmayer. Glad to see yer, Baron.
Von Rettenmayer.
Zo good of you to haf me.
Smythe.
Excuse me; Iām just going to wash my hands.
Von Rettenmayer.
Detaining him. Bardon meāone momentāā
Smythe.
Eh?
Von Rettenmayer.
Dropping his voice. May I dake the liberdy of indulging in a liddle griticism on your eggcellent blay?
Smythe.
Certainly.
Von Rettenmayer.
Drawing Smythe away from the tables. Gome here. His mouth close to Smytheās ear. The zecond aggd!
Smythe.
Second act; whatās the matter with it?
Von Rettenmayer.
The pard where the gharming Miss Barradell is ghanging her gostumeāā
Smythe.
Yes?
Von Rettenmayer.
That is where the biece reguires lifdingā with a gesture lifding.
Smythe.
Lifting?
Von Rettenmayer.
Mr. DavishāMr. Balkāeggsdremely glever; slipping his arm through Smytheās but if you could zee your way glear to gif EnidāMiss Mongreiffāanoder danceāā
Smythe.
Nodding. Ah, hām, hām.
Von Rettenmayer.
It would remove the zolitary imberfection.
Smythe.
ErāIāll think it over. Releasing himself. Iām just going to wash my hands. Weāll talk about it later.
Von Rettenmayer.
Schoensten Dank. Going to the men on the left. Aha, Mr. Gooling! My dear Stewardāmy dear Jerryāā!
As Smythe is again making for the door on the left, Mrs. Stidulph enters from the landing with Colonel Stidulph.
Smythe.
To Mrs. Stidulph. Ha, Dolly! Kissing her. How are you, my dear?
Mrs. Stidulph.
A mature but still beautiful woman, gorgeously dressed and wearing showy jewelsāwith a lofty air. How are you, Carlton?
Smythe.
To Stidulph. How dāye do, Arthur? Delighted to see yer.
Mrs. Stidulph.
Lucky Iām able to come to you to-night. Itās so difficult to catch me in the season.
Smythe.
Been in front?
Mrs. Stidulph.
Māyes; in a tone of boredom oh, yes.
Smythe.
What, donāt you like it?
Mrs. Stidulph.
Oh, I donāt say I dislike it; shrugging her shoulders but one canāt forget what one used to do here in the old days.
Stidulph.
An elderly, distinguished-looking man with a meek voice and a courteous but rather nervous manner. Iāve had a most enjoyable evening, Carlton. So bright; so very bright!
Mrs. Stidulph.
To Stidulph, sneeringly. Oh, anything pleases you; youād laugh at Punch and Judy.
Smythe.
Iām just running away to wash my hands. Looking towards the men on the left. You know Von Rettenmayer?
Mrs. Stidulph.
Know him! Why, he was about in my time! Crossing to Von Rettenmayer, followed by Stidulph. Karl!
Von Rettenmayer.
My dear lady! Kissing her hand perfunctorily. What bliss! Shaking hands with Stidulph. Golonel!
Mrs. Stidulph.
Shaking hands with de Castro. How are you, Sam?
De Castro.
Ah, Dolly! To Stidulph. Hullo, Arthur!
Cooling.
Presenting Heneage and Grimwood to the Stidulphs. Mr. Stewart HeneageāMr. Gerald Grimwoodāā
As the Stidulphs leave Smythe, Herbert Fulkerson enters from the landing with Farncombe. In dumb-show, Smythe and Fulkerson greet each other and then Fulkerson introduces Farncombe.
Smythe.
Shaking hands with Farncombe. Glad to make your acquaintance.
Farncombe.
Glad to make yours, Mr. Smytheāand in such circumstances!
Fulkerson.
A white-faced young man with red eyes and of dissipated appearanceāespying Mrs. Stidulph. By Jove, if it isnāt Dolly Ensor! Hurrying to Mrs. Stidulph. What cheer, Dolly!
Mrs. Stidulph.
Coldly. How do you do, Mr. Fulkerson?
Fulkerson.
Slightly abashed. Oh, IāIām pretty middlinā, thanks; hope youāre the same. Nodding to Stidulph. Eveninā, Arthur.
Vincent Bland has sauntered in at the door on the left and now joins the group surrounding the Stidulphs.
Bland.
Nodding to Heneage and Grimwood. Hālo, Stewart! Hālo, Jerry! Coming to the Stidulphs. DollyāāColonelāā
Smythe.
To Farncombe. Iāll be back in a minute or two; Iām just going to wash my hands.
Fulkerson.
Calling to Farncombe. Hi! Eddie!
Farncombe crosses to Fulkerson and is presented by him to the Stidulphs. Gabrielle Kato enters at the right-hand door at the back, meeting Smythe as he is going out. The waiters have finished setting the plates of melon upon the tables and now withdraw, carrying the plated dishes and preceded by Luigi, at the door on the left.
Smythe.
To Gabrielle. Ha, Gabby, my dear! Quite well, eh?
Gabrielle.
A pretty young woman with a fretful little face expressive of extreme dissatisfaction with the worldālooking at Smythe spiritlessly. This is a treat. Why, you havenāt been to see us for ages.
Smythe.
Cunningly. I see you all far oftener than you suspect.
Gabrielle.
Do you? That is sly of you.
Smythe.
Leaving her. Iām just going to have a wash and brush up.
Gabrielle.
Really? Oh, you are full of news.
He departs as de Castro approaches Gabrielle.
De Castro.
In a low voice. Hullo, Gabth! How are you to-night?
Gabrielle.
Oh, Iām all right, I sāpose. Isnāt it hot?
De Castro.
Not at his ease with her. It ith inclined that way.
Daphne Dure, Nita Trevenna, Douglas Glynn, and Albert Palk enter at the door on the left. Nita is a tall, handsome girl, Daphne a plump, little, fair, baby-faced thing. They are charmingly dressed, as are all the ladies of the Pandora Theatre. Glynn and Palkāthe latter a short, thick-set man who might reasonably be a low comedianāare two professional-looking gentlemen of the best class. The arrivals are warmly hailed by Fulkerson, Von Rettenmayer, Heneage, and Grimwood and, with more reserve, by Mrs. Stidulph. Stidulph has seated himself wearily in the armchair on the nearer side of the fireplace and, beyond listening to Bland who is talking to him, has withdrawn himself from the proceedings.
Fulkerson.
To Farncombe. Hereās Daphne Dureāand Nita Trevenna. Going to the new comers. Hullo, Daphne! Hullo, Nita! Howārāyer, Douglas! Hullo, Albert!
Daphne and Nita.
How dāye do, Bertie? To Von Rettenmayer. How dāye do, Von?
Von Rettenmayer.
Kissing their hands. Dear ladies! To Glynn and Palk. Aha, Mr. GlynnāMr. Balkā!
Daphne and Nita.
To Heneage and Grimwood. How dāye do, Stewie? How dāye do, Jerry? To Mrs. Stidulph. Oh, Dolly! That you, Dolly?
Mrs. Stidulph.
Well, girls!
Fulkerson.
Here! I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Miss DureāMiss TrevennaāLord Farncombe. DouglasāAlbertāLord Farncombe.
Nita.
Pouncing upon Cooling. I say, Morris!
Cooling.
What is it, my dear?
Nita.
Is it true that little Kennedyās met with an accident?
Cooling.
Yes; canāt join us.
Fulkerson.
The Dwarf! Whatās happened?
Cooling.
Ran his car into a ābus, just outside the theatre.
Nita.
Oh!
Cooling.
Pitched himself forward on to his head.
Nita.
His head!
Daphne.
With a simper. Donāt be anxious, Nita; thereās 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 Gabrielleās hand. Gabrielle!
Gabrielle.
Ah, Von! To Heneage and Grimwood. Ah, boys! To Mrs. Stidulph. Howārā you?
De Castro.
Shaking hands. DaphneāNitaāDouglathāAlbertā!
Fulkerson.
I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Miss KatoāLord Farncombeāā
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. Itās all right; sheāll be round in a minute.
Cooling.
Amiable?
Roper.
Angelic. Sheās wearing a new dress, and thatās taken her mind off it.
Cooling.
Her barkās always worse than her bite. I knew it āud blow over.
Roper.
Formidably. Oh, but I have given her such a talking to! Cooling passes 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. DollyāNitaāGabsā Daphne! DouglasāAlbert! 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 Enidās 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 MoncreiffāLord Farncombe.
Roper.
Hurrying across. Hul-lo, hereās Enid!
De Castro.
Shaking hands with Tavish and Shirley. Piethe went thplendidly thith eveninā, didnāt it?
Fulkerson.
Shaking hands with Tavish and Shirley. I want to introdooce Lord Farncombe. Mr. TavishāMr. ShirleyāLord Farncombe.
Enid.
Coming forward to greet Mrs. Stidulph who advances to her. Dolly dear!
Mrs. Stidulph.
Embracing Enid. Enid darling! Good gracious, youāre becoming an absolute skeleton!
Enid.
Indeed? Well,
Comments (0)