Part 17 (1/2)

HUBERT (_incredulous_): What--what did you say?

DAN (_turning to him casually_): Bar a murderer, o' course!

OLIVIA _steps forward_. MRS. TERENCE _steps back from the chair on which the hat-box has been placed_.

OLIVIA (_incisively_): Talking of murder, do you know anything about Mrs. Chalfont's whereabouts at the moment?

DAN _turns to her, and for the first time sees the hat-box. He stands motionless. A pause._

DAN: Mrs. Who? OLIVIA: You can't pretend you've never heard of her.

DAN (_turning to_ HUBERT, _recovering himself_): Oh, Mrs.

_Chalfont's_ whereabouts! I thought she said her name was Mrs.

Chalfontswear. (_Profusely_) Silly.... Swear--about--couldn't think----

OLIVIA: Well?

DAN (_still looking at_ HUBERT, _brightly, after a pause_): I've nothin' to go on, but I think she's been ... murdered.

HUBERT: Oh, you do?

DAN: Yes, I do.

MRS. TERENCE: Who by?

DAN: They say she had several chaps on a string, and----(_Suddenly_) There was one fellow, a London chap, a bachelor, very citified--with a fair moust----(_He stares at_ HUBERT.)

HUBERT (_touching his moustache, unconsciously_): What are you looking at me for?

DAN: Well ... you wasn't round these parts the day she bunked, was you?

HUBERT: Yes, I was, as a matter of fact.

DAN (_significantly_): Oh....

MRS. BRAMSON'S VOICE (_calling in the garden_): Danny!

HUBERT (_fl.u.s.tered_): What in G.o.d's name are you getting at?

DAN _smiles and shrugs his shoulders regretfully at him, and goes out through the front door._ OLIVIA _sits at the table._

MRS. TERENCE (_to_ HUBERT, _perplexed_): Are you sure you didn't do it, sir?

HUBERT: I'm going out for a breath of air.

_He takes his hat and stick as he goes through the hall, and goes out through the front door._

MRS. TERENCE (_to_ OLIVIA): You don't still think--

OLIVIA: I won't say any more. I know how silly it sounds.