a little bit
old-fashioned.

PIM. So he married--er--Mrs. Marden instead.

DINAH. Mrs. Telworthy--don't say you've forgotten already, just when
you were getting so good at names. Mrs. Telworthy. You see, Olivia
married the Telworthy man and went to Australia with him, and he drank
himself to death in the bush, or wherever you drink yourself to death
out there, and Olivia came home to England, and met my uncle, and he
fell in love with her and proposed to her, and he came into my room
that night--I was about fourteen--and turned on the light and said,
"Dinah, how would you like to have a beautiful aunt of your very own?"
And I said: "Congratulations, George." That was the first time I
called him George. Of course, I'd seen it coming for _weeks_.
Telworthy, isn't it a funny name?

PIM. Very singular. From Australia, you say?

DINAH. Yes, I always say that he's probably still alive, and will turn
up here one morning and annoy George, because that's what first
husbands always do in books, but I'm afraid there's not much chance.

PIM (shocked). Miss Marden!

DINAH. Well, of course, I don't really _want_ it to happen, but it
_would_ be rather exciting, wouldn't it? However, things like that
never seem to occur down here, somehow. There was a hay-rick burnt
last year about a mile away, but that isn't quite the same thing, is
it?

PIM. No, I should say that that was certainly different.

DINAH. Of course, something very, very wonderful did happen last
night, but I'm not sure if I know you well enough---- (She looks at
him hesitatingly.)

PIM (uncomfortably). Really, Miss Marden, I am only a--a passer-by,
here to-day and gone to-morrow. You really mustn't----

DINAH. And yet there's something about you, Mr. Pim, which inspires
confidence. The fact is--(in a stage whisper)--I got engaged last
night!

PIM. Dear me, let me congratulate you.

DINAH. I expect that's why George is keeping you such a long time.
Brian, my young man, the well-known painter--only nobody has ever
heard of him--he's smoking a pipe with George in the library and
asking for his niece's hand. Isn't it exciting? You're really rather
lucky, Mr. Pim--I mean being told so soon. Even Olivia doesn't know
yet.

PIM (getting up). Yes, yes. I congratulate you, Miss Marden. Perhaps
it would be better----

[ANNE comes in.

ANNE. Mr. Marden is out at the moment, sir---- Oh, I didn't see you,
Miss Dinah.

DINAH. It's all right, Anne. _I'm_ look