TREBELL'S house in Queen Anne Street, London. Eleven o'clock on an October
morning.
TREBELL'S _working room is remarkable chiefly for the love of sunlight it
evidences in its owner. The walls are white; the window which faces you is
bare of all but the necessary curtains. Indeed, lack of draperies testifies
also to his horror of dust. There faces you besides a double door; when it
is opened another door is seen. When that is opened you discover a writing
table, and beyond can discern a book-case filled with heavy volumes--law
reports perhaps. The little room beyond is, so to speak, an under-study.
Between the two rooms a window, again barely curtained, throws light down
the staircase. But in the big room, while the books are many the choice of
them is catholic; and the book-cases are low, running along the wall. There
is an armchair before the bright fire, which is on your right. There is a
sofa. And in the middle of the room is an enormous double writing table
piled tidily with much appropriate impedimenta, blue books and pamphlets and
with an especial heap of unopened letters and parcels. At the table sits_
TREBELL _himself, in good health and spirits, but eyeing askance the work to
which he has evidently just returned. His sister looks in on him. She is
dressed to go out and has a housekeeping air._
FRANCES. Are you busy, Henry?
TREBELL. More or less. Come in.
FRANCES. You'll dine at home?
TREBELL. Anyone coming?
FRANCES. Julia Farrant and Lucy have run up to town, I think. I thought of
going round and asking them to come in ... but perhaps your young man will
be going there. Amy O'Connell said something vague about our going to
Charles Street ... but she may be out of town by now.
TREBELL. Well ... I'll be in anyhow.
FRANCES. [_Going to the window as she buttons her gloves._] Were you on deck
early this morning? It must have been lovely.
TREBELL. No, I turned in before we got out of le Havre. I left Kent on deck
and found him there at six.
FRANCES. I don't think autumn means to come at all this year ... it'll be
winter one morning. September has been like a hive of bees, busy and drowsy.
By the way, Cousin Mary has another baby ... a girl.
TREBELL. [_Indifferent to the information._] That's the fourth.
FRANCES. Fifth. They asked me down for the christening ... but I really
couldn't.
TREBELL. September's the month for Tuscany. The car chose to break down one
morning just as we were starting North again; so we climbed one of the
little hills and sat for a couple of hours, while I composed a fifteenth
century electioneering speech to the citizens of Siena.
FRANCES. [_With a half smile._] Have you a vein of romance for holiday time?
TREBELL. [_Dispersing the suggestion._] Not at all romantic ... nothing but
figures and fiscal questions. That was the hardest commercial civilisation
there has been, though you only think of its art and its murders now.
FRANCES. The papers on both sides have been very full of you ... saying you
hold the moral balance ... or denying it.
TREBELL. An interviewer caught me at Basle. I offered to discuss the state
of the Swiss navy.
FRANCES. Was that before Lord Horsham wrote to you?
TREBELL. Yes, his letter came to Innsbruck. He "expressed" it somehow. Why
... it isn't known that he will definitely ask me to join?
FRANCES. The Whitehall had a leader before the Elections were well over to
say that he must ... but, of course, that was Mr. Farrant.
TREBELL. [_Knowingly._] Mrs. Farrant. I saw it in Paris ... it just caught
me up.
FRANCES. The Times is very shy over the whole question ... has a letter from
a fresh bishop every day ... doesn't talk of you very kindly yet.
TREBELL. Tampering with the Establishment, even Cantelupe's way, will be a
pill to the real old Tory right to the bitter end.
WALTER KENT _comes in, very fresh and happy-looking. A young man
started in life._ TREBELL _hails him._
TREBELL. Hullo ... you've not been long getting shaved.
KENT. How do you do, Miss Trebell? Lucy turned me out.
FRANCES. My congratulations. I've not seen you since I heard the news.
KENT. [_Glad and unembarrassed._] Thank you. I do deserve them, don't I?
Mrs. Farrant didn't come down ... she left us to breakfast together. But
I've a message for you ... her love and she is in town. I went and saw Lord
Charles, sir. He will come to you and be here at half past seven.
TREBELL. Look at these.
_He smacks on the back, so to speak, the pile of parcels and letters._
KENT. Oh, lord! ... I'd better start on them.
FRANCES. [_Continuing in her smooth oldmaidish manner._] Thank you for
getting engaged just before you went off with Henry ... it has given me my
only news of him, through Lucy and your postcards.
TREBELL. Oh, what about Wedgecroft?
KENT. I think it was he spun up just as I'd been let in.
TREBELL. Oh, well ... [_And he rings at the telephone which is on his
table._]
KENT. [_Confiding in_ MISS TREBELL.] We're a common sense couple, aren't we?
I offered to ask to stay behind but she....