EDWIN. Really! Then, seeing him must have the opposite effect to
hearing of him, for the more I hear of him the more I feel inclined to
kick him. (_rising_)
MRS. P. You don't like him?
EDWIN. I detest him!
MRS. P. Oh, you jealous man! You're envious of his success amongst the
ladies.
EDWIN. I should like to cut his whiskers off.
MRS. P. And so shear Samson of his strength.
EDWIN. However, I won't vent my malice upon you; I must point out the
beauties of the neighbourhood. It won't take long.
MRS. P. We'd better go outside to see them, hadn't we?
EDWIN. I think you'll see enough of them from where you stand. Now,
are you looking?
MRS. P. Yes.
EDWIN. Up there's the sky.
MRS. P. Well, I've seen that before.
EDWIN. Oh, if you think that you'll see anything in Dumpington you
haven't seen before, why, you'll be disappointed.
MRS. P. Well, what next?
EDWIN. Down there's the sand.
MRS. P. Yes, don't they call it something else? Not sand, but
something like it.
EDWIN. Strand?
MRS. P. Strand! that's it.
EDWIN. Yes, some people call it strand. The grocers call it sugar.
MRS. P. How very playful of them! Well, go on, and tell me the next beauty.
EDWIN. Over there's the sun.
MRS. P. But I can't look at that, because of my complexion.
EDWIN. Oh! I'm sorry you can't look at that, because it's the last
beauty of Dumpington.
MRS. P. Is that all?
EDWIN. That's all.
MRS. P. Good gracious, how do people pass their time here?
EDWIN. In the morning, they sit and look at the sun. In the evening,
they sit and look at the moon. Oh dear, I quite forgot--occasionally
you can see the sea.
MRS. P. The sea!
EDWIN. Sometimes--through a strong telescope.
MRS. P. You goose, it's there.
EDWIN. Why so it is, the tide has actually arrived. For the first time
in the ten days that I have been at Dumpington the tide is coming in.
It's always been going out before. Hush! Hark!
MRS. P. What to?