FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36  
37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   >>  
y faith in this matter may be wrong--but I am surely right to keep the flag of my faith flying. I imagine I need not enlarge on the reasons----" THE CURTAIN FALLS. ACT. II Before noon a few days later. The open windows of the dining-room let in the sunlight. On the table a number of newspapers are littered. HELEN is sitting there, staring straight before her. A newspaper boy runs by outside calling out his wares. At the sound she gets up anti goes out on to the terrace. HUBERT enters from the hall. He goes at once to the terrace, and draws HELEN into the room. HELEN. Is it true--what they're shouting? HUBERT. Yes. Worse than we thought. They got our men all crumpled up in the Pass--guns helpless. Ghastly beginning. HELEN. Oh, Hubert! HUBERT. My dearest girl! HELEN puts her face up to his. He kisses her. Then she turns quickly into the bay window. The door from the hall has been opened, and the footman, HENRY, comes in, preceding WREFORD and his sweetheart. HENRY. Just wait here, will you, while I let Mrs. More know. [Catching sight of HUBERT] Beg pardon, sir! HUBERT. All right, Henry. [Off-hand] Ah! Wreford! [The FOOTMAN withdraws] So you've brought her round. That's good! My sister'll look after her--don't you worry! Got everything packed? Three o'clock sharp. WREFORD. [A broad faced soldier, dressed in khaki with a certain look of dry humour, now dimmed-speaking with a West Country burr] That's right, zurr; all's ready. HELEN has come out of the window, and is quietly looking at WREFORD and the girl standing there so awkwardly. HELEN. [Quietly] Take care of him, Wreford. HUBERT. We'll take care of each other, won't we, Wreford? HELEN. How long have you been engaged? THE GIRL. [A pretty, indeterminate young woman] Six months. [She sobs suddenly.] HELEN. Ah! He'll soon be safe back. WREFORD. I'll owe 'em for this. [In a lacy voice to her] Don't 'ee now! Don't 'ee! HELEN. No! Don't cry, please! She stands struggling with her own lips, then goes out on to the terrace, HUBERT following. WREFORD and his girl remain where they were, strange and awkward, she muffling her sobs. WREFORD. Don't 'ee go on like that, Nance; I'll 'ave to take you 'ome. That's silly, now we've a-come. I might be dead and buried by the f
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36  
37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   >>  



Top keywords:

HUBERT

 

WREFORD

 

terrace

 

Wreford

 

window

 

Country

 

speaking

 
quietly
 

Quietly

 

awkwardly


standing

 

dimmed

 

packed

 

sister

 

surely

 

humour

 
dressed
 

soldier

 

remain

 

strange


awkward

 

stands

 

struggling

 

muffling

 

buried

 

months

 
matter
 

indeterminate

 

engaged

 

flying


pretty

 

suddenly

 

shouting

 

crumpled

 

helpless

 

thought

 

calling

 

littered

 
straight
 

sitting


newspaper
 
sunlight
 

enters

 
dining
 

windows

 
newspapers
 

number

 

Ghastly

 

beginning

 

Catching