De Levis.  My tongue is still mine, General, if my money isn’t!

Canynge. [Unmoved] Must not.  You’re a member of three Clubs, you want to be member of a fourth.  No one who makes such an insinuation against a fellow-guest in a country house, except on absolute proof, can do so without complete ostracism.  Have we your word to say nothing?

De Levis.  Social blackmail?  H’m!

Canynge.  Not at all—­simple warning.  If you consider it necessary in your interests to start this scandal-no matter how, we shall consider it necessary in ours to dissociate ourselves completely from one who so recklessly disregards the unwritten code.

De Levis.  Do you think your code applies to me?  Do you, General?

Canynge.  To anyone who aspires to be a gentleman, Sir.

De Levis.  Ah!  But you haven’t known me since I was a boy.

Canynge.  Make up your mind.

     A pause.

De Levis.  I’m not a fool, General.  I know perfectly well that you can get me outed.

Canynge. [Icily] Well?

De Levis. [Sullenly] I’ll say nothing about it, unless I get more proof.

Canynge.  Good!  We have implicit faith in Dancy.

There is a moment’s encounter of eyes; the general’s steady, shrewd, impassive; Winsor’s angry and defiant; de LEVIS’s mocking, a little triumphant, malicious.  Then Canynge and Winsor go to the door, and pass out.

De Levis. [To himself] Rats!

Curtain

ACT II

SCENE I

Afternoon, three weeks later, in the card room of a London Club.  A fire is burning, Left.  A door, Right, leads to the billiard-room.  Rather Left of Centre, at a card table, lord st Erth, an old John Bull, sits facing the audience; to his right is general Canynge, to his left Augustus Borring, an essential Clubman, about thirty-five years old, with a very slight and rather becoming stammer or click in his speech.  The fourth Bridge player, Charles Winsor, stands with his back to the fire.

Borring.  And the r-rub.

Winsor.  By George!  You do hold cards, Borring.

St Erth. [Who has lost] Not a patch on the old whist—­this game.  Don’t know why I play it—­never did.

Canynge.  St Erth, shall we raise the flag for whist again?

Winsor.  No go, General.  You can’t go back on pace.  No getting a man to walk when he knows he can fly.  The young men won’t look at it.

Borring.  Better develop it so that t-two can sit out, General.