dain._] Pah!

[_There is a pause and then JEYES sits upright and draws his hand
wearily across his eyes._

JEYES.

[_To LILY._] Well, I-- I beg your pardon. [_LILY continues to spray
herself energetically._] I'm not so completely _scum_ as not to see
that I ought to beg your pardon. [_Humbly._] I beg your pardon.

LILY.

[_Softening by degrees._] You-- you drive me mad sometimes--
positively frantic!

JEYES.

[_Partly to himself._] Mad! [_To FARNCOMBE._] And you, Farncombe--
I hope you'll accept my apologies. I offer them unreservedly.

[_FARNCOMBE bows, somewhat stiffly._

LILY.

[_To JEYES, protruding her lower lip._] I-- I didn't mean half I said,
Nicko; I didn't mean half of it. [_Eyeing FARNCOMBE askance as she
replaces the atomizer._] And I-- I'm ashamed of myself for losing my
self-control as I did. [_There is another pause and then JEYES gets to
his feet and silently returns the note to LILY. She looks up at him
piteously and puts the note back into her bosom. Then he takes out his
key-ring, removes the latch key from it, and throws the key on to the
table. Having done this, he drags his cap from his pocket and makes
for the door on the left. As he passes LILY, she rises and gently
plucks at his sleeve._] Nicko-- Nicko----

JEYES.

[_In a thick voice._] Eh?

LILY.

Won't you-- won't you give Lord Farncombe-- some explanation----?

JEYES.

Explanation----?

LILY.

Of the sort of terms we've been on, you and I, He-- he must be--
rather puzzled-- [_turning away to the table._] Oh, it's due to you as
well as to me!

JEYES.

[_Dully._] Just as you please. [_With a hard laugh._] Ho, ho! Yes,
perhaps it _is_ due to me that he should learn a little more about me
than he's been able to gather from personal observation-- and from
your eloquent but summary description. [_Under his breath, screwing up
his cap._] Idler-- waster-- loafer----!

LILY.

[_Penitently._] Nicko!

JEYES.

[_To FARNCOMBE, quietly._] Oh, it's a true bill, Farncombe. And yet,
a very few years back-- _she_ won't dispute it-- I was one of the
smartest chaps going, good at my job, with prospects as rosy as any
man's in my regiment. There wasn't a cloud the size of your hand,
apparently, in my particular bit of sky at the time I speak of; not a
speck! Then I met this young lady, and-- [_pointing to the
box-ottoman_] well, since we're in for it----!

FARNCOMBE.

Oh, Captain Jeyes----

JEYES.

No, no; she wi