(_MRS. ANDERSON hands in a telegram and retires._)
(_Coming down, reading:_) “He has smashed some more windows, and is
still running.”
STELLA (_taking the telegram_). More windows!
JACK. “The crowd are still after him.”
WALTER. Crowd?
JACK. “He has just climbed a tall chimney stack marked Bovril, and is
now sitting on the top.”
WALTER. Good Lord!
JACK. “Marked Bovril,” is this to be your fate, alas, my poor brother!
WALTER (_snatches the wire and reads_). “They are fetching a fire
escape. He keeps yowling.”
STELLA (_taking telegram_). Yowling?
WALTER. Suppose the police get him and think it’s me, I’ll be blamed
for all this damned thing. We must catch him. We’ll buy a gag and
handcuffs as we go along.
STELLA. Gag? Why?
WALTER. Because he’s yowling! Stop! Stella must stay in case Mrs.
Everest comes. (_Calls._) Mrs. Anderson! I want a cab!
(_He and JACK rush out D. in F._)
STELLA. I’m so excited I think I’ll play the piano in the other room.
(_Exit R. to drawing-room and immediately plays and sings
“Caressante.”_)
(_AUTOMATON enters D. in F., in black frock-coat, but now hatless,
goes to cupboard, paws at the door, goes and knocks over chair, then
to table up L. and takes up a tumbler, brings it down mechanically to
front C., half raises it, then lets it fall on the floor and sits by
table R., facing audience and says:_)
AUTOMATON. Tick-tick-Yow.
(_MRS. ANDERSON enters D. in F. with a black frock-coat in tailor’s
parcel, places it on table R. top end, then sees AUTOMATON and comes
out C., to speak._)
MRS. ANDERSON. Oh, he’s there, are he? (_Using handkerchief as she
speaks._)
AUTOMATON. Yow.
MRS. ANDERSON. There’s a parcel from the tailoring folks with a message
hopering as it were in time.