The Man from Home. Booth Tarkington

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СКАЧАТЬ house! All of one party.[pg 017]

      RIBIERE

      Good! Who are they?

      MARIANO

      There is Milor', an English Excellency—the Earl of Hawcastle; there is his son, the Excellency Honorabile Almeric St. Aubyn; there is Miladi Creeshe, an English Miladi who is sister-in-law to Milor' Hawcastle.

      RIBIERE

      [taking notes]

      Three English.

      MARIANO

      There is an American Signorina, Mees Granger-Seempsone. Miladi Creeshe travel with her to be chaperone.

      [Enthusiastically.]

      She is young, generosa, she give money to every one, she is multa bella, so pretty, weeth charm—

      RIBIERE

      [puzzled]

      You speak now of Lady Creeshe?

      MARIANO

      [taken aback]

      Oh no, no, no! Miladi Creeshe is ol' lady

      [tapping his ears]

      Not hear well. Deaf. No pourboires. Nothing. I speak of the young American lady, Mees Granger-Seempsone who the English Honorabile son of Milor' Hawcastle wish to espouse, I think.

      RIBIERE

      Who else is there?

      MARIANO

      There is the brother of Mees Granger-Seempsone, a young gentleman of North America. He make the eyes

      [laughing]

      all day at another lady who is of the party, a French lady, Comtesse de Champigny. Ha, ha! That amuse' me![pg 018]

      RIBIERE

      Why?

      MARIANO

      Beckoss I think Comtesse de Champigny is a such good friend of the ol' English Milor' Hawcastle. A maître d'hôtel see many things, an' I think Milor' Hawcastle and Madame de Champigny have know each other from long, perhaps. This déjeuner is for them.

      RIBIERE

      And who else?

      MARIANO

      It is all.

      RIBIERE

      Good! no Russians?

      MARIANO

      I think Milor' Hawcastle and Madame de Champigny have been in Russia sometime.

      RIBIERE

      [putting his note-book in his pocket]

      Why?

      MARIANO

      Beckoss once I have hear them spik Russian togezzer.

      RIBIERE

      I think there is small chance that they recognize my employer. His portrait is little known.

      MARIANO

      And this North American who come in the automobile—does he know who he travel wiz? Does he know his Highness?

      RIBIERE

      No more than the baby which is not borned.

      MARIANO

      [lifting his eyes to heaven]

      Ah!

      RIBIERE

      [looking at his watch]

      Set déjeuner on [pg 019] the terrace instantly when he arrive: a perch, petit pois, iced figs, tea. I will send his own caviar and vodka from the supplies I carry.

      MARIANO

      I set for one?

      RIBIERE

      For two. He desires that the North American breakfast with him. Do not forget that the incognito is to be absolute.

      [Exit into hotel.]

      MARIANO

      Va bene, Signore!

      [Puts finishing-touches to the table.]

      [Enter from the grove, LORD HAWCASTLE. He is a well-preserved man of fifty-six with close-clipped gray mustache and gray hair; his eyes are quick and shrewd; his face shows some slight traces of high living; he carries himself well and his general air is distinguished and high-bred. He wears a suit of thinly striped white flannel and white shoes, a four-in-hand tie of pale old-rose crape, a Panama hat with broad ribbon striped with white and old-rose of the same shade as his tie. His accent is that of a man of the world, and quite without affectation. [pg 020] He comes at once upon his entrance to a chair at the table.]

      [MICHELE enters at same time up left, with a folded newspaper.]

      HAWCASTLE

      [as he enters]

      Good-morning, Mariano!

      MARIANO

      [bowing]

      Milor' Hawcastle is serve.

      [Takes HAWCASTLE'S hat and places it upon a stool behind table.]

      MICHELE

      [hands HAWCASTLE newspaper from under his arm]

      Il Mattino, the morning journal from Napoli, Milor'.

      HAWCASTLE

      [accepting paper and unfolding it]

      No English papers?

      MICHELE

      Milor', the mail is late.

      [Exit up left.]

      HAWCASTLE

      [sitting]

      And Madame de Champigny?

      [MARIANO serves coffee, etc.]

      [As HAWCASTLE speaks the COMTESSE DE CHAMPIGNY enters from hotel. She is a pretty Frenchwoman of thirty-two. She wears a fashionable summer Parisian morning dress, light and gay in color, a short-sleeved little Empire jacket, and long [pg 021] gloves. She carries a parasol. Her elaborately dressed hair is surmounted by a jaunty Parisian toque.]

      MADAME СКАЧАТЬ