Part 75 (1/2)

MELISANDE. Are they? Oh, if I could believe they were!

GERVASE. You thought of me as your lover and true knight this morning.

Ah, but what an easy thing to be! You were my Princess. Look at yourself in the gla.s.s--how can you help being a princess? But if we could be companions, Melisande! That's difficult; that's worth trying.

MELISANDE (gently). What do you want me to do?

GERVASE. Get used to me. See me in a top-hat--see me in a bowler-hat.

Help me with my work; play games with me--I'll teach you if you don't know how. I want to share the world with you for all our lives. That's a long time, you know; we can't do it on one twenty-minutes' practice before breakfast. We can be lovers so easily--can we be friends?

MELISANDE (looking at him gravely). You are very wise.

GERVASE. I talked with a wise man in the wood this morning; I've been thinking over what he said. (Suddenly) But when you look at me like that, how I long to be a fool and say, ”Come away with me now, now, now,” you wonderful, beautiful, maddening woman, you adorable child, you funny foolish little girl. (Holding up a finger) Smile, Melisande.

Smile! (Slowly, reluctantly, she gives him a smile.) I suppose the fairies taught you that. Keep it for _me_, will you--but give it to me often. Do you ever laugh, Melisande? We must laugh together sometimes--that makes life so easy.

MELISANDE (with a happy little laugh). Oh, what can I say to you?

GERVASE. Say, ”I think I should like you for a companion, Gervase.”

MELISANDE (shyly). I think I should like you for a companion, Gervase.

GERVASE. Say, ”Please come and see me again, Gervase.”

MELISANDE. Please come and see me again, Gervase.

GERVASE (Jumping up and waving his hand) Say, ”Hooray for things!”

MELISANDE (standing up, but shyly still). Hooray for things!

GERVASE. Thank you, Melisande . . . I must go. (He presses her hand and goes; or seems to be going. But suddenly he comes back, bends on one knee, raises her hand on his, and kisses it) My Princess!

[Then GERVASE goes out.

(MELISANDE stays there, looking after him, her hand to her cheek. . . .

But one cannot stand thus for ever. The new life must begin. With a little smile at herself, at GERVASE, at things, she fetches out the Great Book from its hiding-place, where she had buried it many weeks ago in disgust. Now it comes into its own. She settles down with it in her favourite chair. . . .)

MELISANDE (reading). To make Bread-Sauce. . . . Take an onion, peel and quarter it, and simmer it in milk. . . .

(But you know how the romantic pa.s.sage goes. We have her with it, curled up in the chair, this adorable child, this funny foolish little girl.)

THE STEPMOTHER

A PLAY IN ONE ACT

CHARACTERS

SIR JOHN PEMBURY, M.P.

LADY PEMBURY.