Part 6 (1/2)

FARADAY. Smith--huh-- (_Genially_) Well, of course the dear fellow isn't to be held responsible for that. Eh, Admiral? (_Joins_ AUNT IDA _and_ GRICE _up_ C.)

GRICE. (_To_ FARADAY. _Coming down_ R.C.) Miss Faraday _engaged?_ You might knock me down with a feather. My dear, I congratulate yo--_him_, my dear, _him_.

CELIA. (_Smiling and shaking hands with_ GRICE) Thank you, Admiral, thank you.

RALEIGH. (_Up_ L.C. _to_ STEELE) Engaged!

STEELE. By George! (_They contemplate_ CELIA _from a new point of view_.)

FARADAY. (_Up_ R.C. _with_ AUNT IDA. _Smiling broadly and rubbing his hands together_) Good--old--_John_--_Smith!_

EVELYN. (_Patronizingly_) Well, Father, he _may_ be one of the _good_ Smiths, you know.

MADGE. (_From chair_ R.) If Celia would only stop being such a clam, and tell us.

CELIA. But, Madge dear, I have told you.

FARADAY. (_Comes down stage to_ R. _of_ CELIA) Well, Celia, I suppose he will be coming to _see_ us soon?

CELIA. Oh, yes--father--after the war. (_Leaning back on chair_ R. _of table_ L.)

PHYLLIS. (_Quickly_) The war?

(_All show surprise and interest_.)

CELIA. Yes, you see he sailed this morning on board a troop s.h.i.+p, for Somaliland. It was just within an hour of his leaving that he--spoke to me.

FARADAY. But during that hour he might have told you something about himself.

PHYLLIS. Oh, Father! How absurd! On occasions of that kind, an hour pa.s.ses very quickly, (_Turns to_ TARVER _and smiles_.)

(_All laugh_.)

FARADAY. Well, I remember that when I proposed to your mother, I told her my life history _three times over_ in the first hour. (_Goes up stage_.)

EVELYN. (_Deprecatingly_) Oh, Father! (_To_ CELIA) What's his regiment?

CELIA. Oh, it is a very good one, Evelyn dear. It's one of the West African ones, you know. It has green thing-a-majigs all down the front.

(EVELYN _goes up_ L. _and crosses_ R.)

TARVER. It sounds like a garden party.