Part 7 (1/2)

(Exit TILLY.

Enter GRACE, R. 2 E.

SEL. (taking card). ”Captain Cornelius Katskill.” I am not at home, I never shall be at home again; what does he want?

MRS. S. (aside to SELWYN). Oh, Sam, I forgot to tell you after all. It's the young Irish officer we met at the Claremonts' and who was so attentive to Grace, in fact, I fully expect he has called to ask permission to consider himself formally engaged to her.

SEL. Grace engaged! What nonsense; she _is_ engaged, isn't she?

GRACE (indignantly). No, papa!

SEL. Yes, you are! Or you are going to be, which is just the same, to my friend Fred Bellamy. I must repay him for saving my life!

GRACE. ”Pay,” papa! You talk of me as though I were a cheque instead of a child! I don't _love_ Mr. Bellamy!

SEL. Not love him! He saved your father's life, and you dare to say you don't love him; this is the grat.i.tude of girls!

(Crosses to L.)

GRACE. I can't--I can't; for I love somebody else.

SEL. Somebody else! You mustn't, can't, won't, don't, or shan't love somebody else!

GRACE. Yes, I do!

MRS. S. Yes, she does, and you wouldn't be brute enough to coerce her young affections, would you?

SEL. (savagely). Yes, I would! Young affections! Young fiddlesticks! (Crosses, R.)

MRS. S. (going L., consoling GRACE). Never mind, my child, your father is without poetry! and consequently without feeling!

Ugh! you brute.

(Exeunt GRACE and MRS. SELWYN, L. U. E.

SEL. I will never sacrifice my Frederick! Never! Never!

(Calling.) Dibbs!

Enter DIBBS, L. U. E.

DIBBS. Yessir!

SEL. Give the gentleman his card back, tell him to call again next year, say that we have got the sweeps or the measles in the house, at any rate get him to go! Where's my felt hat?

DIBBS. Billyc.o.c.k, sir? Yessir!

(Exit DIBBS, R. U. E.

SEL. (aside). Let me see, I must call on this bloodthirsty poet to begin with--Dibbs! Where's that felt hat?

Enter DIBBS with felt hat and umbrella.