beautiful and modest youth in blue
and gold appears at my father's court, and begs that he too be allowed
to try his fortune with the dragon. Passing through the great hall on
my way to my bed-chamber, I see him suddenly. Our eyes meet. . . . Oh,
Jane!

JANE. Darling! . . . You ought to have lived in those days, Melisande.
They would have suited you so well.

MELISANDE. Will they never come back again?

JANE. Well, I don't quite see how they can. People don't dress in blue
and gold nowadays. I mean men.

MELISANDE. No. (She sighs) Well, I suppose I shall never marry.

JANE. Of course, I'm not romantic like you, darling, and I don't have
time to read all the wonderful books you read, and though I quite
agree with everything you say, and of course it must have been
thrilling to have lived in those wonderful old days, still here we
are, and (with a wave of the hand)--and what I mean is--here we are.

MELISANDE. You are content to put romance out of your life, and to
make the ordinary commonplace marriage?

JANE. What I mean is, that it wouldn't be commonplace if it was the
right man. Some nice, clean-looking Englishman--I don't say
beautiful--pleasant, and good at games, dependable, not very clever
perhaps, but making enough money----

MELISANDE (carelessly). It sounds rather like Bobby.

JANE (confused). It isn't like Bobby, or any one else particularly.
It's just anybody. It wasn't any particular person. I was just
describing the sort of man without thinking of any one in----

MELISANDE. All right, dear, all right.

JANE. Besides, we all know Bobby's devoted to _you_.

MELISANDE (firmly). Now, look here, Jane, I warn you solemnly that if
you think you are going to leave me and Bobby alone together this
evening---- (Voices are heard outside.) Well, I warn you.

JANE (in a whisper). Of course not, darling. (With perfect tact) And,
as I was saying, Melisande, it was quite the most----Ah, here you are
at last! We wondered what had happened to you!

(Enter BOBBY and MR. KNOWLE. JANE has already described BOBBY for us.
MR. KNOWLE is a pleasant, middle-aged man with a sense of humour,
which he cultivates for his own amusement entirely.)

BOBBY. Were you very miserable without us? (He goes towards them.)

JANE (laughing). Very.

(MELISANDE gets up as BOBBY comes, and moves away.)

MR. KNOWLE. Where's your Mother, Sandy?

MELISANDE. In the dining-room, I think, Father.

MR. KNOWLE. Ah! Resting, no doubt.