(GEOFFREY _and_ ST. HERBERT _enter_. JAWBONES _and_ GINGER _make to
rise_. GINGER _succeeds_.)
GEOFFREY. All right, all right. Don’t let me disturb the party.
Where’s Mr. Sigsby?
JAWBONES. Gone to look up the police, I think, sir. (_Having finished_,
_he rises_.) Some of those factory girls been up to their larks again.
GEOFFREY. Umph! What’s it about this time?
JAWBONES. They’ve took objection to one of our posters.
GEOFFREY. What, another! (_To_ ST. HERBERT.) Woman has disappointed me
as a fighter. She’s willing enough to strike. If you hit back, she’s
surprised and grieved.
ST. HERBERT. She’s come to the game rather late.
GEOFFREY. She might have learned the rules. (_To_ JAWBONES.) Which
particular one is it that has failed to meet with their approval?
JAWBONES. It’s rather a good one, sir, from our point of view: “Why she
left her ’appy ’ome.”
GEOFFREY. I don’t seem to remember it. Have I seen it?
JAWBONES. I don’t think you ’ave, sir. It was Mr. Sigsby’s idea. On
the left, the ruined ’ome, baby crying it’s little ’eart out—eldest child
lying on the floor, scalded—upset the tea-kettle over itself—youngest boy
in flames—been playing with the matches, nobody there to stop ’im. At
the open door the father, returning from work. Nothing ready for ’im.
On the other side—’_er_, on a tub, spouting politics.
GEOFFREY. (_To_ ST. HERBERT.) Sounds rather good.
JAWBONES. Wait a minute. There was a copy somewhere about—a proof.
(_He is searching for it on the desk—finds it_.) Yus, ’ere ’tis. (_To_
GINGER.) Catch ’old.
(JAWBONES _and_ GINGER _hold it displayed_.)
That’s the one, sir.
ST. HERBERT. Why is the working man, for pictorial purposes, always a
carpenter?
GINGER. It’s the skirt we object to.
GEOFFREY. The skirt! What’s wrong with the skirt?
GINGER. Well, it’s only been out of fashion for the last three years,
that’s all.
GEOFFREY. Oh! I see. (_To_ ST. HERBERT.) We’ve been hitting them
below the belt. What do you think I ought to do about it?
ST. HERBERT. What would you have thought yourself, three weeks ago?
GEOFFREY. You and I have been friends ever since we were boys. You
rather like me, don’t you?
ST. HERBERT. (_Puzzled_.) Yes.
GEOFFREY. If I were to suddenly hit you on the nose, what would happen?
ST. HERBERT. I understand. Woman has suddenly started hitting man on
the nose. Her excuse being that she really couldn’t keep her hands off
him any longer.
JAWBONES. (_He has pinned the poster to the wall_.) They begun it. To
’ear them talk, you’d think as man had never done anything right.
GEOFFREY. He’s quite right. Their posters are on every hoarding: “Who’s
made all the Muddles? Man!” “Men’s Promises! Why, it’s all Froth!”
“Woman this Time!” I suppose it will have to go.
JAWBONES. (_Hopefully_.) Up, sir?
GEOFFREY. No, Jawbones. Into the dust-heap with the rest.
(JAWBONES _is disgusted_. GINGER _is triumphant_.)
GEOFFREY. I must talk to Sigsby. He’s taking the whole thing too
seriously. It will be some time before we reach that stage. (_To_
JAWBONES.) Ask Mrs. Chinn to bring me a cup of tea.
(JAWBONES _goes out_.)
(_He seats himself at table and takes up some correspondence_. _To_
GINGER.) Are you waiting for any one?
GINGER. A letter from her ladyship. (_She picks up from the desk and
hands him the letter_ SIGSBY _had thrown there_.) Her ladyship thought
you ought to be consulted.
GEOFFREY. (_He reads the short letter with a gathering frown—hands it
across to_ ST. HERBERT.)