, my owner--my corporeal sheath--means to go away in the
morning, before you are up?

LADY TORMINSTER. Sir Geoffrey! What nonsense! You've promised to stay a
month!

SIR GEOFFREY. I assure you I have been charged to invent fitting and
appropriate lies to account for the ridiculous creature's abrupt
departure. The man Transom is a poor liar.

LADY TORMINSTER. You are making me giddy. Would you mind putting on your
body? I've not been introduced to your soul.

SIR GEOFFREY. [_Springing up with a flourish._] How very remiss of me!
Permit me. Gertrude this is Geoffrey. You have often heard me speak of
him.

LADY TORMINSTER. [_Rising._] I think I'll go to bed.

SIR GEOFFREY. Now that is preposterous. Jack, my dear old friend--the best
and only friend I have in the world--is slumbering peacefully upstairs,
and Jack's wife is reluctant to talk to Jack's old pal because the sun
happens to be hidden on the other side of the globe. Lady Torminster, sit
down. If you're good you shall have a cigarette.

LADY TORMINSTER. [_Sitting._] Well, just one. And when I've finished it,
I'll go.

SIR GEOFFREY. Agreed.

[_He hands her the box; she takes a cigarette; he strikes a match
and holds it for her; he then takes a cigarette himself, and
lights it._

SIR GEOFFREY. And, while smoking it, remember Penelope's web. For I've
heaps of things to tell you.

LADY TORMINSTER. They'll keep till to-morrow.

SIR GEOFFREY. That's a fearful delusion. Nothing keeps. There is one law
in the universe: NOW.

LADY TORMINSTER. I want to know what you mean by this nonsense about your
going.

SIR GEOFFREY. [_Puffing out smoke._] Yes--I'm off in the morning. It has
occurred to me that I haven't been to China. Now that is a serious
omission. How can I face my forefathers, and confess to them that I
haven't seen the land where the Yellow Labour comes from?

LADY TORMINSTER. China has waited a long time--a month more or less will
make no difference. They are a patient race.

SIR GEOFFREY. There is gipsy blood in my veins--I must wander--I'm
restless.... Not like Jack--he's untroubled--he can sleep. Jack's a fine
sleeper, isn't he?

LADY TORMINSTER. Yes.

SIR GEOFFREY. Calm, serene, untroubled, with the conscience of a
babe--one, two, three, he sleeps. He and I have had some rare times
together. I've been roped to him on the Andes--he shot a tiger that was
about to scrunch me--I rubbed his nose when it was frost-bitten. He sa