y, you've been crying!--

CYNTHIA. King William!

SIR WILFRID. You _are_ crying! Poor little gal!

CYNTHIA. [_Tears in her eyes._] I feel all shaken and cold.

[BROOKS _returns with a card._

SIR WILFRID. [_Astonished and sympathetic._] Poor little gal.

CYNTHIA. [_Her eyes wet._] I didn't sleep a wink last night. [_With
disgust._] Oh, what is the matter with me?

SIR WILFRID. Why, it's as plain as a pikestaff! You-- [BROOKS _has
carried in the card to_ SIR WILFRED, _who picks it up and says aside,
to_ BROOKS:] Phillimore? [BROOKS _assents. Aloud to_ CYNTHIA, _calmly
deceitful._] Who's Waldorf Smith? [CYNTHIA _shakes her head. To_
BROOKS, _returning card to salver._] Tell the gentleman Mrs. Karslake
is not here! [BROOKS _leaves the room._

CYNTHIA. [_Aware that she has no business where she is._] I thought it
was Philip!

SIR WILFRID. [_Telling the truth as if it were a lie._] So did I!
[_With cheerful confidence._] And now, Mrs. Karslake, I'll tell you
why you're cryin'. [_Sitting down beside her._] You're marryin' the
wrong man! I'm sorry for you, but you're such a goose. Here you are,
marryin' this legal luminary. What for? You don't know! He don't know!
But I do! You pretend you're marryin' him because it's the sensible
thing; not a bit of it. You're marryin' Mr. Phillimore because of all
the other men you ever saw he's the least like Jack Karslake.

CYNTHIA. That's a very good reason.

SIR WILFRID. There's only one good reason for marrying, and that is
because you'll die if you don't!

CYNTHIA. Oh, I've tried that!

SIR WILFRID. The Scripture says: "Try! try! again!" I tell you,
there's nothing like a w'im!

CYNTHIA. What's that? W'im? Oh, you mean a _whim_! Do please try and
say W_h_im!

SIR WILFRID. [_For the first time emphasizing his H in the word._]
W_h_im. You must have a w'im--w'im for the chappie you marry.

CYNTHIA. I had--for Jack.

SIR WILFRID. Your w'im wasn't wimmy enough, my dear! If you'd had more
of it, and tougher, it would ha' stood, y'know! Now, I'm not
proposin'!

CYNTHIA. [_Diverted at last from her own distress._] I hope not!

SIR WILFRID. Oh, I will later! It's not time yet! As I was saying--

CYNTHIA. And pray, Sir Wilfrid, when will it be time?

SIR WILFRID. As soon as I see you have a w'im for me! [_Rising, looks
at his watch._] And now, I'll tell you what we'll do! We've got just
an hour to get there in, my motor's on the corner, and in fifty
minute