The Red House Mystery and Other Novels. A. A. Milne
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Название: The Red House Mystery and Other Novels
Автор: A. A. Milne
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Контркультура
isbn: 9781456614010
isbn:
[Enter suddenly LETTY HERBERT and TOMMY from the garden. LETTY is an entirely delightful irresponsible girl of the type which might have shocked Queen Victoria. However, she seems to suit TOMMY. They are not engaged yet, but she has already that air of proprietorship.]
LETTY. I say, Tommy did the eighth in one. Why, there's Aunt Harriet. (Going over and kissing her) How are you, darling? Tommy's done the eighth in one. I know it doesn't mean much to you, but do say hooray, because he's so bucked about it.
GERALD (to WENTWORTH). Do you know Miss Herbert? Letty, come and be introduced. Mr. Wentworth--Miss Herbert.
LETTY (shaking hands eagerly). How do you do? I say, Tommy did the eighth in one. Do you know Tommy--_or_ the eighth?
WENTWORTH. Both, Miss Herbert.
GERALD. To a man who knows both, the performance seems truly astonishing.
MISS FARRINGDON. I don't know anything about golf, Mr. Todd. But doing anything in one sounds rather clever. So I say hooray, too.
TOMMY. I wish you'd let me teach you, Miss Farringdon. Lots of people begin when they're frightfully old.
LETTY (to WENTWORTH). This is one of Tommy's polite days.
GERALD. Mr. Todd's famous old-world courtesy is the talk of many a salon.
MISS FARRINGDON (to TOMMY). Don't you mind them. I _am_ frightfully old. I am very proud of it. I hope you'll all live to be as old as I am.
GERALD. I only hope we shall be half as nice.
MISS FARRINGDON. Gerald being charming as usual.
GERALD (firmly). I will also add that I hope we shall be kinder to our great-nephews than some.
LETTY (putting her arm in his). Diddums!
GERALD. Yes, I did. I am very much hurt.
TOMMY. I say, you know, Miss Farringdon, I never meant--
LETTY. I love Tommy when he apologizes.
[Enter SIR JAMES and LADY FARRINGDON from the door to front of the staircase. SIR JAMES, in a country check-suit, is a man of no particular brain and no ideas, but he has an unconquerable belief in himself, and a very genuine pride in, and admiration of, GERALD. His grey hair is bald on the top, and he is clean-shaven except for a hint of whisker. He might pass for a retired Captain R. N., and he has something of the quarter-deck manner, so that even a remark on the weather is listened to with attention. Neither of his sons loves him, but GERALD is no longer afraid of him. LADY FARRINGDON is outwardly rather intimidating, but she never feels so. She worships GERALD; and would love a good many other people if they were not a little overawed by her.]
LADY FARRINGDON. Ah, you're here, Mr. Wentworth. How do you do?
WENTWORTH (coming forward). How do you do, Lady Farringdon? How do you do, Sir James?
SIR JAMES. How are you, Wentworth? Come to see Gerald play for the county?
GERALD. He's come to see Pamela. Haven't you, Wentworth?
WENTWORTH. I rather hope to see both.
SIR JAMES. Ah, Aunt Harriet, I didn't see you. How are you to-day?
MISS FARRINGDON. Very well, thank you, James. (He goes over to her.)
LADY FARRINGDON. I hope they've shown you your room, Mr. Wentworth, and made you comfortable? Gerald, darling, you saw that Mr. Wentworth was all right?
WENTWORTH. Oh yes, that's quite all right, thank you, Lady Farringdon.
LADY FARRINGDON. Let me see, you're in the Blue Room, I think.
LETTY. It's much the nicest room to be in, Mr. Wentworth. There's a straight way down the water-pipe in case of fire.
GERALD. And a straight way up in case of burglars.
LADY FARRINGDON (fondly). Gerald, dear, don't be so foolish.
SIR JAMES. Gerald, is it true you went round in seventy-two?
GERALD. Yes. Tommy did the eighth in one.
TOMMY (modestly). Awful fluke.
SIR JAMES (casually). Ah--well done. (To GERALD) Seventy-two-- that's pretty good. That's five under bogey, Mr. Wentworth.
LADY FARRINGDON (to WENTWORTH). Gerald has always been so good at everything. Even as a baby.
TOMMY. He did the ninth in three, Letty. How's that for hot?
SIR JAMES (to WENTWORTH). You must stay till Thursday, if you can, and see the whole of the Surrey match. It isn't often Gerald gets a chance of playing for the county now. It's difficult for him to get away from the Foreign Office. Lord Edward was telling me at the club the other day--
LETTY (t0 LADY FARRINGDON). Gerald dived off the Monk's Rock this morning. I'm glad I didn't see him. I should have been horribly frightened.
TOMMY (proudly). I saw him.
LETTY. Tommy, of course, slithered down over the limpets in the ordinary way.
LADY FARRINGDON (fondly). Oh, Gerald, how could you?
SIR JAMES (still talking to WENTWORTH). He tells me that Gerald is a marked man in the Service now.
TOMMY (to LETTY). Do you remember when Gerald--
MISS FARRINGDON (incisively). Let's _all_ talk about Gerald.
(GERALD, who has been listening to all this with more amusement than embarrassment, gives a sudden shout of laughter.)
GERALD. Oh, Aunt Tabitha, you're too lovely! (He blows her a kiss and she shakes her stick at him.)
[Enter PAMELA from the door In front of the staircase, tall, beautiful and serene, a born mother. GERALD carried her off her feet a month ago, but it is a question if he really touched her heart--a heart moved more readily by pity than by love.]
PAMELA. Gerald, dear, I'd know your laugh anywhere. Am I too late for the joke?
GERALD. Hullo, Pamela. Brought Bob with you?
PAMELA. He's just washing London off himself.
LADY СКАЧАТЬ