.

TRUNDLEBEN: I gathered it was all rather a--rather a sordid story.

SIR WEBLEY (_solemnly_): Ah!

[NEEKS[5] _with equal solemnity wags his head._

TRUNDLEBEN (_focussing his list again_): Here's a very funny one. This
is funnier than "Hamlet." "The Tempest." And the stage directions are
"The sea, with a ship."

SIR WEBLEY (_laughs_): Oh, that's lovely! That's really too good. The
sea with a ship! And what's it all about?

TRUNDLEBEN: Well, I rather gathered that it was about a magician, and
he--he makes a storm.

SIR WEBLEY: He makes a storm. Splendid! On the stage, I suppose.

TRUNDLEBEN: Oh yes, on the stage.

[SIR WEBLEY _and_ NEEKS[6] _laugh heartily._

NEEKS: He'd ... He'd have to be a magician for that, wouldn't he?

SIR WEBLEY: Ha, ha! Very good! He'd have to be a magician to do that,
Trundleben.

TRUNDLEBEN: Yes, indeed, Sir Webley; indeed he would, Mr. Neeks.

SIR WEBLEY: But that stage direction is priceless. I'd really like to
copy that down if you'd let me. What is it? "The sea with a ship"? It's
the funniest bit of the lot.

TRUNDLEBEN: Yes, that's it, Sir Webley. Wait a moment, I have it here.
The--the whole thing is "the sea with a ship, afterwards an island."
Very funny indeed.

SIR WEBLEY: "Afterwards an island"! That's very good, too. "Afterwards
an island." I'll put that down also. (_He writes._) And what else,
Trundleben? What else?

[TRUNDLEBEN _holds out his list again._

TRUNDLEBEN: "The Tragedy of--of King Richard the--the Second."

SIR WEBLEY: But _was_ his life a tragedy? _Was_ it a tragedy, Neeks?

NEEKS: I--I--well I'm not quite sure; I really don't think so. But I'll
look it up.

SIR WEBLEY: Yes, we can look it up.

TRUNDLEBEN: I think it was rather--perhaps _rather_ tragic, Sir Webley.

SIR WEBLEY: Oh, I don't say it wasn't. No doubt. No doubt at all. That's
one thing. But to call his whole life a tragedy is--is quite another.
What, Neeks?

NEEKS: Oh, quite another.

TRUNDLEBEN: Oh, certainly, Sir Webley. Tragedy is--er--is a very strong
term indeed, to--to apply to such a case.

SIR WEBLEY: He was probably out poaching when he should have been
learning his history.

TRUNDLEBEN: I'm afraid so, Sir Webley.

SIR WEBLEY: And what else, eh? Anything more?

TRUNDLEBEN: Well, there are some poems, he says.

[_Holds up a list._

SIR WEBLEY: And what are they about?

TRUNDLEBEN: Well, there's one called ... Oh. I'd really rather not
mention that one; per