Complete Plays of John Galsworthy eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,284 pages of information about Complete Plays of John Galsworthy.

Complete Plays of John Galsworthy eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,284 pages of information about Complete Plays of John Galsworthy.

Clyst. Then what we got to du’s to elect a meetin’.

Burlacombe. [Sourly] Yu’ll not find no procedure far that.

     [Voices from among the dumb-as fishes:  “Mr. Burlacombe ’e
     oughter know.”]

Sol Potter. [Scratching his head—­with heavy solemnity] ’Tes my belief there’s no other way to du, but to elect a chairman to call a meetin’; an’ then for that meetin’ to elect a chairman.

Clyst. I purpose Mr. Burlacombe as chairman to call a meetin’.

Freman.  I purpose Sol Potter.

Godleigh.  Can’t ‘ave tu propositions together before a meetin’; that’s apple-pie zure vur zurtain.

     [Voice from among the dumb-as fishes:  “There ain’t no meetin’
     yet, Sol Potter zays.”]

Trustaford.  Us must get the rights of it zettled some’ow.  ’Tes like the darned old chicken an’ the egg—­meetin’ or chairman—­which come virst?

Sol Potter. [Conciliating] To my thinkin’ there shid be another way o’ duin’ it, to get round it like with a circumbendibus.  ’T’all comes from takin’ different vuse, in a manner o’ spakin’.

Freman.  Vu goo an’ zet in that chair.

Sol Potter. [With a glance at Burlacombe modestly] I shid’n never like fur to du that, with Mr. Burlacombe zettin’ there.

Burlacombe. [Rising] ’Tes all darned fulishness.

     [Amidst an uneasy shufflement of feet he moves to the door, and
     goes out into the darkness.]

Clyst. [Seeing his candidate thus depart] Rackon curate’s pretty well thru by now, I’m goin’ to zee. [As he passes Jarland] ’Ow’s to base, old man?

     [He goes out.  One of the dumb-as-fishes moves from the door and
     fills the apace left on the bench by Burlacombe’s departure.]

Jarland.  Darn all this puzzivantin’! [To Sol Potter] Got an’ zet in that chair.

Sol Potter. [Rising and going to the chair; there he stands, changing from one to the other of his short broad feet and sweating from modesty and worth] ’Tes my duty now, gentlemen, to call a meetin’ of the parishioners of this parish.  I beg therefore to declare that this is a meetin’ in accordance with my duty as chairman of this meetin’ which elected me chairman to call this meetin’.  And I purceed to vacate the chair so that this meetin’ may now purceed to elect a chairman.

     [He gets up from the chair, and wiping the sweat from his brow,
     goes back to his seat.]

Freman.  Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of order.

Godleigh.  There ain’t no chairman.

Freman.  I don’t give a darn for that.  I rise on a point of order.

Godleigh.  ’Tes a chairman that decides points of order.  ’Tes certain yu can’t rise on no points whatever till there’s a chairman.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
Complete Plays of John Galsworthy from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.