king
champagne!

PROSERPINE (stubbornly). Yes, I do. I'm only a beer teetotaller, not a
champagne teetotaller. I don't like beer. Are there any letters for me
to answer, Mr. Morell?

MORELL. No more to-night.

PROSERPINE. Very well. Good-night, everybody.

LEXY (gallantly). Had I not better see you home, Miss Garnett?

PROSERPINE. No, thank you. I shan't trust myself with anybody to-night.
I wish I hadn't taken any of that stuff. (She walks straight out.)

BURGESS (indignantly). Stuff, indeed! That gurl dunno wot champagne is!
Pommery and Greeno at twelve and six a bottle. She took two glasses
a'most straight hoff.

MORELL (a little anxious about her). Go and look after her, Lexy.

LEXY (alarmed). But if she should really be--Suppose she began to sing
in the street, or anything of that sort.

MORELL. Just so: she may. That's why you'd better see her safely home.

CANDIDA. Do, Lexy: there's a good fellow. (She shakes his hand and
pushes him gently to the door.)

LEXY. It's evidently my duty to go. I hope it may not be necessary.
Good-night, Mrs. Morell. (To the rest.) Good-night. (He goes. Candida
shuts the door.)

BURGESS. He was gushin' with hextra piety hisself arter two sips.
People carn't drink like they huseter. (Dismissing the subject and
bustling away from the hearth.) Well, James: it's time to lock up. Mr.
Morchbanks: shall I 'ave the pleasure of your company for a bit of the
way home?

MARCHBANKS (affrightedly). Yes: I'd better go. .(He hurries across to
the door; but Candida places herself before it, barring his way.)

CANDIDA (with quiet authority). You sit down. You're not going yet.

MARCHBANKS (quailing). No: I--I didn't mean to. (He comes back into the
room and sits down abjectly on the sofa.)

CANDIDA. Mr. Marchbanks will stay the night with us, papa.

BURGESS. Oh, well, I'll say good-night. So long, James. (He shakes
hands with Morell and goes on to Eugene.) Make 'em give you a night
light by your bed, Mr. Morchbanks: it'll comfort you if you wake up in
the night with a touch of that complaint of yores. Good-night.

MARCHBANKS. Thank you: I will. Good-night, Mr. Burgess. (They shake
hands and Burgess goes to the door.)

CANDIDA (intercepting Morell, who is following Burgess). Stay here,
dear: I'll put on papa's coat for him. (She goes out with Burgess.)

MARCHBANKS. Morell: there's going to be a terrible scene. Aren't you
afraid?

MORELL. Not in the least.

MARCHBANKS. I nev