breathless. Esther and Polly rise-Esther puts on lid of bandbox."
Bandbox!

Searching for something to represent a bandbox, she opens the
workroom door.

DOT. Freda?

FREDA comes in.

DOT. I say, Freda. Anything the matter? You seem awfully down.
[FREDA does not answer.]

DOT. You haven't looked anything of a lollipop lately.

FREDA. I'm quite all right, thank you, Miss Dot.

DOT. Has Mother been givin' you a tonic?

FREDA. [Smiling a little] Not yet.

DOT. That doesn't account for it then. [With a sudden warm impulse]
What is it, Freda?

FREDA. Nothing.

DOT. [Switching of on a different line of thought] Are you very busy
this morning?

FREDA. Only this cloak for my lady.

DOT. Oh! that can wait. I may have to get you in to prompt, if I
can't keep 'em straight. [Gloomily] They stray so. Would you mind?

FREDA. [Stolidly] I shall be very glad, Miss Dot.

DOT. [Eyeing her dubiously] All right. Let's see--what did I want?

JOAN has come in.

JOAN. Look here, Dot; about the baby in this scene. I'm sure I
ought to make more of it.

DOT. Romantic little beast! [She plucks the footstool out by one
ear, and holds it forth] Let's see you try!

JOAN. [Recoiling] But, Dot, what are we really going to have for
the baby? I can't rehearse with that thing. Can't you suggest
something, Freda?

FREDA. Borrow a real one, Miss Joan. There are some that don't
count much.

JOAN. Freda, how horrible!

DOT. [Dropping the footstool back into the basket] You'll just put
up with what you're given.

Then as CHRISTINE and MABEL LANFARNE Come in, FREDA turns
abruptly and goes out.

DOT. Buck up! Where are Bill and Harold? [To JOAN] Go and find
them, mouse-cat.

But BILL and HAROLD, followed by LATTER, are already in the
doorway. They come in, and LATTER, stumbling over the
waste-paper basket, takes it up to improve its position.

DOT. Drop that cradle, John! [As he picks the footstool out of it]
Leave the baby in! Now then! Bill, you enter there! [She points to
the workroom door where BILL and MABEL range themselves close to the
piano; while HAROLD goes to the window] John! get off the stage!
Now then, "Eccles enters breathless, Esther and Polly rise." Wait a
minute. I know now. [She opens the workroom door] Freda, I wanted a
bandbox.

HAROLD. [Cheerfully] I hate beginning to rehearse, you know, you
feel such a fool.