DICKIE.
Doesn’t it mean anything to you?
PENELOPE.
Not much.
DICKIE.
[_Beginning to be rather perplexed._] But, Pen dear, pull yourself
together. I love you just as much as you love me.
PENELOPE.
[_With a little smile._] But what makes you think I love you?
DICKIE.
[_Aghast._] You--you don’t mean to say that you don’t care for me any
more?
PENELOPE.
[_Judicially._] I--no longer feel that the world is coming to an end
when you go out of the room.
DICKIE.
What!... Why don’t you say straight out that you can’t bear the sight of
me?
PENELOPE.
Because it wouldn’t be quite true. I like you very well.
DICKIE.
Like me! I don’t want you to like me. I want you to love me.
PENELOPE.
I wish I could. It would save a lot of bother.
DICKIE.
I don’t understand. This is the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever heard
in my life. I always thought you adored me.
PENELOPE.
Why?
DICKIE.
Because I adore you.
PENELOPE.
Since when?
DICKIE.
Always, always, always.
PENELOPE.
Fancy.
DICKIE.
Oh, I know I made a fool of myself. I shall never cease to regret it.
D’you think I was happy? D’you think I had a jolly time? Not much.... I
suppose it’s that. You can’t forgive me?
PENELOPE.
Nonsense. Of course I forgive you. It doesn’t matter a bit.
DICKIE.
[_With a gesture of desperation._] The whole thing’s Greek to me. I
loved you always, Pen. I never ceased for a moment to love you.
PENELOPE.
My dear, you need not protest so much. It doesn’t very much interest me
either way.
DICKIE.
What a fool I was! I ought to have known that if you took it so calmly
it could only be because you didn’t care. If a woman doesn’t make scenes
it can only mean that she doesn’t love you.... You used to love me?
PENELOPE.
Yes.
DICKIE.
How can you be so fickle? I never thought you’d treat me like this.
[PENELOPE _looks about as if she’d lost something_.
DICKIE.
What are you looking for?
PENELOPE.
I fancied you’d lost your sense of humour. I was just seeing if I could
find it.
DICKIE.
How can I have a sense of humour when I’m suffering?
PENELOPE.
[_Starting at the word._] Suffering?
DICKIE.
The tortures of the damned. I want you. I want your love.
[_He does not see_ PENELOPE’S _face. An expression of remorse comes
into it at the pain she is causing him. She outlines a gesture
towards him, but quickly restrains herself._
PENELOPE.
[_With a mocking laugh._] Poor darling.
DICKIE.
[_Furiously._] Don’t laugh at me.
PENELOPE.
I wasn’t. I was quite sorry for you.
DICKIE.
D’you think I want your pity?
PENELOPE.
I’m very unfortunate. I seem quite unable to please you. I think it’s
just as well that I’m going away for a week.
DICKIE.
[_Starting up._] No, you’re not going away.
PENELOPE.
[_Raising her eyebrows._] What makes you think that?
DICKIE.
Because I forbid you to.
PENELOPE.
[_Smiling._] And are you under the delusion that at your command I shall
fall flat on my face?
DICKIE.
I’m the master of this house, and I mean to make myself respected.
PENELOPE.
My dear, since you pay the rent and the taxes it’s quite right that you
should rule this house with a rod of iron if you wish it. Personally, at
the moment I only want to get out of it.
DICKIE.
You’re not going out of it.
PENELOPE.
Do you propose to keep me here against my will?
DICKIE.
Certainly, if needful.
PENELOPE.
H’m.
[_She gets up and goes to the door. He intercepts her, locks the
door, and puts the key in his pocket._
PENELOPE.
Brute force.
DICKIE.
I think it’s about time I showed you I’m not going to be made a perfect
fool of.
[PENELOPE _shrugs her shoulders and sits down. Suddenly she
chuckles._
DICKIE.
I don’t see anything to laugh at.
PENELOPE.
I do. It’s so mediæval. And are you going to feed me on bread and water?
DICKIE.
[_Angrily._] Ugh. [_He looks at her._] Now, look here, Pen, be
reasonable about it. Why the deuce d’you want to go for this stupid
trip?
PENELOPE.
I refuse to discuss the matter till you’ve opened the door.
DICKIE.
It’s not the time of year for a motor trip. [_Pause._ PENELOPE _looks
straight in front of her, taking no notice of what he says_.] It’ll rain
cats and dogs, and you’ll catch a beastly cold. You’ll probably get
pneumonia. [_Pause._] I’m feeling awfully run down, and I shouldn’t
wonder if I were sickening for something myself. [PENELOPE _smothers a
giggle and continues to stare into vacancy_. DICKIE _breaks out
passionately_.] But don’t you see that if I’m preventing you from going,
it’s because I can’t bear to let you out of my sight? I want you. I want
you always by me. I want you to love me.... Oh, if you only knew how
much I love you, you wouldn’t be so heartless.
PENELOPE.
[_Turning to him and speaking quite calmly._] But surely, if you cared
for me, you wouldn’t try to deprive me of a little enjoyment. You’d be
willing to sacrifice yourself sometimes. You’d have a certain regard for
my wishes. You wouldn’t put every absurd obstacle in the way when the
chance offers for me to have some amusement.
[DICKIE _looks at her for a moment then turns away and walks up and
down, with downcast head. He takes the key out of his pocket and
silently puts it on the table beside her._
PENELOPE.
What does that mean?
DICKIE.
[_In a broken voice._] You’re quite right. I’ve simply been beastly
selfish. I was only thinking of myself. I dare say I bore you. Perhaps
you’ll like me better when you’ve been away for a few days.
[PENELOPE _is so moved that she can hardly keep up her acting any
longer. She struggles with herself, and in a moment masters the
desire to throw herself in his arms._
PENELOPE.
Since you locked the door, perhaps you’ll be good enough to unlock it.
[_Without a word he takes the key and goes to the door. He unlocks
it._
PENELOPE.
Am I to understand that you offer no objection to my trip?
DICKIE.
If it’ll give you pleasure to go, I shall be pleased to think you’re
happy. I only want you to be happy.
PENELOPE.
Would you rather I stayed?
DICKIE.
No.
[PENELOPE _gives a slight start. This is not at all what she
wants._
PENELOPE.
Oh!
DICKIE.
I don’t know what I shall do without you. I feel as if I were only now
getting to know you. It’s as though--oh, I don’t know how to express it.
PENELOPE.
But you’ve just said you would rather I went.
DICKIE.
I don’t want to think of myself any more. I want to think only of you.
It makes me so happy to think of you, Pen. I want to sacrifice myself.
PENELOPE.
[_Relieved._] Will you go to my room and see if my bag has been taken
down?
[_He goes out for a moment. She remains with an ecstatic look on
her face. He comes back._
DICKIE.
Yes. Peyton’s taken it.
PENELOPE.
Then--[_she gives him a look from beneath her eye-lashes_]--ring and
tell her to bring it up again.
DICKIE.
[_Hardly able to believe his good fortune._] Pen!
PENELOPE.
Are you pleased?
DICKIE.
Oh, you’re much too good to me. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. Oh,
Pen, if you only knew how much I adore you!
[_He falls on his knees and passionately kisses her hands. She can
hardly restrain herself from lifting him up and flinging her arms
round his neck._
DICKIE.
Is there any chance for me at all? D’you think you’ll ever love me as
you used to?
PENELOPE.
How can I tell?
DICKIE.
Oh, why can’t we go back to the beginning? D’you remember how we loved
one another then? You used to come down with me every day when I went
out, and when I came back you always ran down to kiss me. And d’you
remember how you used to sit on my chair in the morning while I smoked
my pipe and we read the paper together?
PENELOPE.
[_Concealing a smile._] How you must have hated it!
DICKIE.
Hate it? I’ve never been so happy in my life.
PENELOPE.
At all events I hope we shall always continue to be good friends.
DICKIE.
[_Starting up._] Friends! What’s the good of offering me your friendship
when I’m starving for your love? How can you make me so unhappy?
PENELOPE.
[_Smiling indulgently._] But I’m not going to make you unhappy. I hope I
shall always be very pleasant and agreeable.
DICKIE.
What d’you think I care for that? Pen, promise that you’ll try to love
me?
PENELOPE.
[_With a smile._] Yes, I’ll try if you like.
DICKIE.
I’ll make you love me. I’ll never rest till I’m sure of your love.
PENELOPE.
And when you are sure of it I suppose you won’t care twopence for me any
more?
DICKIE.
Try me! Try me!
[_He kisses her hands again. He does not see her face. She smiles
and shakes her head._
DICKIE.
I never knew that you were so adorable. It fills me with rapture merely
to kiss your hands.
[PENELOPE _gives a little laugh and releases herself_.
PENELOPE.
Now I must just go to the Hendersons and tell them I can’t come
motoring.
DICKIE.
Can’t you telephone? I don’t want to let you out of my sight.
PENELOPE.
They’re not on the telephone. It’ll be more convenient for me to go.
DICKIE.
Very well. If you must, I suppose you must.
[_She smiles and goes to the door. When she reaches it he stops
her._
DICKIE.
Oh, Pen!
PENELOPE.
Yes.
DICKIE.
At what time will you be back?
[_Recognising the phrase, she gives a gesture of amusement, quickly
kisses her hand to him, and slips out of the door._
THE END.
BALLANTYNE & COMPANY LTD
TAVISTOCK STREET COVENT GARDEN
LONDON