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.