Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 6).djvu/58

Scene: A small drawing-room in a country house. Doors to the right and left. Two armchairs before the fire. Sofa to the left. A table, with brandy and soda-water bottles upon it, to the right. Clock on the mantelpiece.

Explanation: (The author does not give minute stage directions to Mr. Moberly (Dick). The interpreter of the character should indicate by look and gesture exactly what he means. Great care must be taken to show that it is not intended to play the part in dumb show, as was the case in "L'Enfant Prodigue." It should clearly be indicated that Dick would speak, if he were not prevented by Fanny's pouring forth a long torrent of angry words without sufficient pause for him to break in upon her.)^[1]

Fanny (alone: She sits by the fire holding in her hands a piece of lace work, at which she is stitching with evident impatience. After a minute she looks up at the clock): Eleven o'clock. (In a tone of suppressed irritation) Eleven! (Noise of footsteps without.) At last! (She goes on working.)

(Dick enters quickly, makes a movement to come forward and kiss his wife. She parries the kiss and goes on working without raising her eyes. Dick looks at her in surprise. Fanny rises with dignified anger. Dick makes a movement towards her.)

Fanny: Let me pass, will you? (Dick follows her with his eyes. Fanny goes to the door. Turns, speaking with solemnity): All is now over between us! (She rushes from the room. Dick tries to follow, but the door shuts in his face.)

Dick (alone: He is in consternation, and indicates by gesture that he cannot understand the reason of his wife's anger. Perhaps she may be joking! He listens at the keyhole. No sound is to be heard. Then, as if to prepare against a coming storm, he throws himself into an arm-chair and takes up the paper, which he unfolds and reads with an air of intending to be master of the situation.)

Fanny returns and confronts Dick.

Fanny: So you think that we are to go on like this?

Dick (surprised)

Fanny: You think that after I have spent the whole evening waiting for you to come home, that I ought to be only too happy to sit down quietly and watch you read the newspaper?

Dick (just going to rise)

Fanny: Oh! Pray don't rise! I should be sorry to disturb you! I quite understand that after being out the whole day long you are naturally tired and wish to rest.

Dick (just going to speak)

Fanny: I am only sorry I have waited for you. Had I known you were not coming home till midnight———

Dick (looks at the clock)